


Siphon's Legacy

by Aesir_Wings



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, BAMF Hope Mikaelson, Blood Sharing, Dark Magic, Davina and Kol adopt Josie, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gemini Coven - Freeform, Hope is flirty, Hosie, Josie Needs a Hug, Josie is a bi mess, Kai is the best uncle, Klaus and Hayley are ALIVE, Klaus is the best dad, M/M, Mikaelson Institute, Norse runes, OOC Josie, Reincarnation, Slow Burn, This is kinda dark sometimes, Top!Hope Mikaelson, Turns out josie had a really traumatic childhood, Whipped!Hope, flirty Hope à la Jace Wayland, magic runes, the merge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2020-05-31 11:25:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 13
Words: 58,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19425010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aesir_Wings/pseuds/Aesir_Wings
Summary: ❝ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦❞In a universe which Alaric is the one who dies at the wedding,and Kai is sent back to the prison world,Jo Parker leaves Mystic Falls and becomes the leader of the Gemini Coven,who relocates itself in Chicago.Years later,her daughters Josie and Lizzie grew up with the Coven, spending their whole lives preparing for The Merge.With Josie being the only siphon twin, she's seen as a abomination and Malachai's legacy,bound to cause chaos.After witnessing something that puts her in danger, Josie is forced to flee Chicago,and ends up stumbling on the Mikaelson Institute in New Orleans.||Hosie AU||





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my new story!
> 
> This is an AU,and some events of the canon have been changed.
> 
> Some of them are:
> 
> • Alaric is the one who died at the wedding;
> 
> • Kai was sent to another prison world(but his character will have a strong connection with Josie);
> 
> • Josie is the only remaining Siphon, meaning Lizzie is a common witch;
> 
> • since Alaric died, the Salvatore Boarding School was never founded.
> 
> • HAYLEY AND KLAUS ARE ALIVE GUYS! And they founded the Mikaelson Institute, a bit like the 1x10 Legacies episode;
> 
> • Some characters will have different personalities, especially Josie,because of the way she grew up;
> 
> There are still other small changes that will be self-explanatory throughout the story!

The crack of wood burning in the fire was loud in the silence of the room of the old mansion. The crystal chandelier glowed illuminating the features of the three present entities, a woman and two children.

The mother was standing in front of the sofa where the twins met, the firelight shining behind her, intensifying her regal presence.

Josette Parker positioned herself in front of her daughters, a blonde and a brunette, both gazing anxiously at the mother.

"Since completing the first decade of life,the Council members think it is appropriate for you to know about some of our Coven rituals." The mother began, her arms locked in her back, her erect posture, the cracking of fire accompanying the tone of her voice.

The girls said nothing, they knew better than raising their voices in serious moments like this.

"The most significant and indispensable of these rituals is the so-called _The Merge_."

The name seemed to arouse the children's interest, sitting on the big red couch.Jo Parker arched a brow. She directed the palm of her left hand to the gigantic tapestry on top of the fireplace.With a small movement of her fingertips the light of the room shone brighter , the twins watched intently.

"Due to the fact that twins are the first in line for our Coven's lead, they are coerced to perform _The Merge_ , where their magic are interconnected and absorbed by the stronger twin."

The woman paused to let out a breath, "Only the strongest twin survives the spell, completely absorbing the magic of the other." She glanced at the two girls in front of her, the blonde named Elizabeth Briar Parker, nicknamed Lizzie, who was cringing as she looked at her fearful mother. What caught her eye was the other dark-haired twin, named Josette Adena Parker II , nicknamed Josie. The child looked peculiarly at the tapestry above the scaffold, clutching the upholstered sofa so hard that the knots of her little fingers turned white.

The tapestry showed the profile of two people, one man and one woman face to face, and holding hands with blood dripping from it. Above them was a lunar eclipse, a blood moon, which cast a red light on the two. Around the figures were the members of the Coven, who surrounded them in a circle holding hands, all dressed in red robes.

Jo Parker gulped at the determined look in her daughter's brown eyes, and tried to forget the fact that those same eyes reminded her of _him_.

"The ritual is unstoppable, the deadline is until the eighteenth birthday of the first-born twins. Your training starts tomorrow."

Josie Adena Parker II bit her lip, and at that moment, she was sure that her relationship with her sister would not be the same.


	2. 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚞𝚛𝚏æð𝚒𝚗 • 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎 • 𝚋𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚑

¡ _𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎¡_  
  


**birth**  
  


/bərTH/  
  


_noun_  
  


**the start of life as a physically separate being.**   
  


☆☆☆


	3. The Grimoire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo,this is actually a translation of my Hosie story,wich is in portuguese.With that being said, expect some grammar mistakes,sorryyy

# The Grimoire

Josie was only nine when she began to notice how different was the way the Coven treated her compared to her sister. It was the subtle gestures, like how they smiled with the corners of her mouth held tight to Josie, how they never touched her exposed skin- hands especially, the whispered words, and the scornful looks in disguise.

All so different from how they treated Lizzie. They always complimented her when she made something float with her spontaneous magic of a young witch, never looked at her as if they expected something bad to happen just by breathing.

It was at this age too that Josie Adena Parker realized her main divergence with her sister: The fact that she had no magic of her own.

~•~

The Coven children were better than the adults, but they never came too close. They always gave her a smile, and sometimes a friendly nod, as they crossed the corridors of Lake Forest Academy.

The only person Josie considered as friend would be Lizzie, but the two were never as close as they were before the day her mother told them about The Merge.

The brunette walked down the empty hallway of the school, the little heels of the sneakers made a noise that rang through the walls. Most of the students were in the classrooms, but Josie had a free period, and would not miss this chance to go to the music room. Her right-hand fingers tightened around the case's handler she was carrying.

Since the training for the ritual began, Josie has felt increasingly lonely. One way to calm this pain in her chest was through music.

She closed the wooden door and sighed contentedly. She went to the middle of the room and sat down on the floor, legs crossed, gently placing the case on the floor beside her. The click of the locks made her lips curl, reaching carefully for the violin inside.

She pulled out a leather notebook from her backpack – that was decorated with buttons, the cover had already been marked and curved by recurring use. Some of the music sheets fell off, but Josie didn't mind, only arranging them in a half moon in front of her.

The brunette took a deep breath, the morning light shining through the window, illuminating Josie and music sheets on the floor. She placed the instrument on her shoulder, fingers positioned in it's neck, and began to play.

The melody filled the room. First a ' _c_ ', followed by a ' _e-minor_ ', ' _b-minor_ ' and holding a ' _d_ ' that jumped back to a ' _c_ '.

The witch's fingers walked along the strings in the mirror of the instrument, her right hand held the bow, guiding it to bring the chords to life. The scroll of the instrument pointed in the same direction of the rays of light that fell on Josie's skin.

The teenager could feel the music ringing in her bones, the feeling of euphoria on the touch of the chords made a simple smile appear on her face.

For someone considered a false witch by the Council's eyes, Josie considered music her own magic, and no one could take that from her.

When the last note left the Instrument, Josie's chest rose and fell with breaths accompanying the song's tempo.

_"You are beautiful."_

The abrupt voice startled Josie, who fell back awkwardly, her elbows banging on the cold floor. Her head turned so fast to the source of the sound that the girl's dark hair whipped her right cheek.

In the left corner of the room, hidden behind the huge speakers, was a boy. His eyes were wide-eyed. Josie recognized him in the same second, he was from one of the Coven families.

"The music!" He exclaimed hastily, his eyebrows gathering in despair. "I m-meant to say the music, she's beautiful."

Josie did not answer, and the boy ran his left hand through his reddish hair, a gesture of despair. He stood up from the boxes, almost tripping over the strings, and went to the witch,a hand reaching for an offer of help.

Josie accepted the help, pressing the violin against her torso like a shield.

"What were you doing back there?"

He gave her a crooked smile, with a hint of guilt, "I was totally not skipping Professor Thomas's class."

Josie wrinkled her nose, "Physics was never my favorite class."

The boy's golden eyes brightened for a second, "I'm Griffin Harrington, even though I'm from Coven, we've never been properly introduced." He held out his hand, "It's nice to finally talk to you, Josie."

To say that the witch had red cheeks was a euphemism, of course she knew who Griffin was.Josie was 14, the age where the first crushes and infatuations were discovered, and Griffin Harrington was certainly one of them.

~•~

The sound of laughes echoed in the late afternoon. The two teenagers sat on the lake's deck, their feet plunged into the water.

Both watcthe paper monkey, which Griffin bewitched, dancing in the air in stunts.

"You have to teach me your tricks." Josie said, her cheeks sore from smiling.

"Of course not!" The boy exclaimed, "A worthy sorcerer never reveals his secrets." He deepened his voice for a dramatic effect.

"Worthy, is it?" The brunette teased. Griffin just nudged her with his elbow in her abdomen, where Josie hated being prodded.

The witch tugged at the cuff of the flowery spring dress, and Griffin's eyes fell on Josie's birthmark, which sat where the clavicle met with the girl's shoulder. All the twins in the Gemini Coven lead line had that same mark, the gemini constellation.

Griffin's eyes gleamed in ambar, and his hair looked more and more red against the sunset's light, "Besides, if I tell you my spells, how am I going to impress you?"

Josie just rolled her eyes. "Speaking of spells, I have a new one to show you."

Griffin smiled at his friend, happy at the excitement in Josie's brown eyes. He reached out to her, who did not hesitate to intertwine her fingers with Griffin's. The red glow appeared in the palm of Josie's hand, which sucked a small amount of friend magic.

The siphon closed her eyes, whispering the spell. Griffin sighed in delight as the little colored lights came around them, like fireflies at dusk. Josie smiled happily at her friend's reaction.

"I'm surprised it's not another fire spell."

"Do not talk about my pyrotechnic spells, okay?" Josie's voice was of false offense, "They're my favorites."

Griffin turned to the sunset, "Do you want to have dinner at home today?"

Josie shrugged, "You know your dad does not like me much ..."

The teenager chewed his lip, guilty. The whole Coven knew of Conrad's aversion to the girl, even if the man did not blatantly demonstrated it.

Josie threw her head back, the colored lights floating around her, "We better head back, it'll be at least half an hour before we get to Chicago." She drew her feet from the lake's warm water and stood up, the deck's wood squeaking with the movement.

"Come on, dear driver!" She gestured dramatically.

Griffin rolled his eyes, "You make me regret having taken my license." He muttered, following the brunette to the car on the dirt road a few yards away, "By the way, when are you going to get yours? You're almost sixteen, JoJo."

Josie turned to her friend, walking backwards to the car, "Why bother when I have you to take me wherever I want, Griff."

"Why you little ...!" He ran after his brunnet friend, the jean's wet cuffs on his ankles.

~•~

Josie didn't usually go in the artifact section of the manor's library. She could easily feel magic, and the place always made her uneasy.

She tried to sleep, but she had a strange dream in which she wandered through shelves searching for something she didn't exactly know. And that was exactly what she was doing now.

The enchanted stone she was carrying emitted light through the bookcases, Josie was staring at the titles on their spine until a strange sensation passed through her body.

It was like an attraction that Josie's eyes came to rest at the end of the hallway, on the bookshelf testing beside the window. Walking closer, she went to it's left corner, where there was an untitled dark book, almost hidden alongside the others thick volumes.

"A Grimoire?"

She removed the book carefully, in the center of it's cover was a purple gemstone that looked like a galaxy, and left the magic luminous stone on the shelf. She slowly reached the cover's leather surface with her index, a _click_ sounded and the stone detached itself from the cover at the moment that Josie's finger touched the surprisingly warm jewelry.

Carefully she lifted it, and a chain soon followed behind. It was a necklace. The witch looked curiously at the object that reflected the light of the bewitched luminous stone.

"What the..." There was something odd about the necklace, a haunting power that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand upright.

Josie wrapped the necklace's chain around her right wrist like a bracelet. She opened the leather cover of the book, the pages thick and yellowish, there was something written on the first sheet.

_"Malachai Parker."_ The words left her mouth without even realizing.

"Who names their child Malachai?" A mocking male voice sounded behind Josie, who turned with her back against the leather books, panicking as she found a pair of mischievous brown eyes, "It's as if they expected me to be evil."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo,this is actually a translation of my Hosie story,wich is in portuguese.With that being said, expect some grammar mistakes,sorryyy
> 
> This is going to be a bit of a slow burn,Hope isn't going to appear until chapter four.I still have a lot of things to write about this alternative timeline before the romance begins.
> 
> KAI PARKER IS BACK EVERYONE! And he's going to be the best sociopath uncle ever.
> 
> What do you guys expect for the story?


	4. Horcrux

#  **Horcrux**

Kai let out an impressed whistle, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans.He was striding around Josie's room curiously, noting from the little flaw in the painting near the window, to the sheer amount of music sheets scattered around the room.

The man's thick eyebrow rose when he spotted the violin on the girl's bed, "Looks like you got the artistic genes of the family."

Kai reached for the instrument, but Josie was faster. She picked up the ruler sitting on the desk beside the bed, and hit her uncle's fingers. The necklace on his wrist shook with the abrupt movement.

"Ouch!" He brought his reddening hand to his chest, "Why so violent, woman!"

The brunette's pupils dilated, "No one touches my violin." Growled.

"Apparently you have my temper, too." Kai mocked.

Josie took a deep breath, "It's three in the morning, and I'd like to know how I'm talking to someone who should not even be in this dimension, instead of sleeping in my wonderful, comfortable bed." The witch snapped her fingers in frustration.

Kai pricked his tongue in the roof of his mouth, "The thing is ... I'm not really here."

"What did you just say?"

He pointed at Josie's right wrist, making a spin gesture with his finger. "The necklace." He said as if it was going to answer all the brunette's doubts.

Josie took her arm at eye level, the pendant spun. The witch's eyes stopped at the writing behind the jewel.

" _Always the Same_ " Malachai translated the french words.

The confusion in Josie's mind did not subside, "I still do not understand how this is happening."

Kai,exasperated, rolled his eyes, "This Grimoire you found is mine. I made it before I was sent for the last time to the Prison World."

Josie sat on the bed next to the book. "What did you write in it?"

The siphon grazed his chin that had a short beard, "Charms, spells,alchemies, stuff about the supernatural, and most of all, my experiences as a siphon."

"In fact," Kai began, "I'm surprised that the Council allowed you to take part in the ritual, with me it was the reverse. My parents continued to have more children until another pair of twins showed up."

Josie looked up at the man, "They had no choice." She shrugged.

"What do you mean by that?"

The brunette sighed, "There were complications in childbirth, Jo can not have any more children."

The teenager touched the book carefully.Her eyes passing through Kai's handwriting,he had everything there, from drawings of supernatural creatures, artifacts, chemical reactions to potions, and alchemy. Some entries were dated, Josie imagined they would be like the siphon's diary.

"But how does the necklace fit in this?"

Kai's lips formed a smirk, he sat on the bed, "Have you read Harry Potter?"

Josie opened her mouth to ask what the hell Harry Potter had to do with the situation, but opted only for a positive nod.

"The first time I read it, I was fascinated by the Horcrux idea, so I decided to make my own." Kai folded his arms proudly.

Josie's jaw dropped, but the man did not care for the plerpexity on her face, and just continued, his tone of voice pretentious.

"Every supernatural being has its own essence, none equal to another,like an identity." He took the book from Josie's lap, turning the pages quickly, until it stopped in one with a huge spell in a language not derived from Latin. Josie had never seen anything like it.

"Then I put all my essence into this necklace, knowing the chances of being sent back to that miserable place." He growled in frustration.

Josie bit her lip thoughtfully, "So you're still in the Prison World?"

"Exact. Only my physical body is in that dimension, and only you can see me. At least while wearing the necklace."

~•~

The sound of the cutlery against the porcelain of the dishes was the only noise in the room, not to mention the noises that Jo Parker's fingernails made when they tapped endlessly on the tablet.

The morning began and the small family ate breakfast. The twins occasionally exchanged whispers as they relished the food. Unlike the mother, who had barely touched her plate. The woman occasionally scratched her left eyebrow, a sign of frustration.

Josie exchanged a look with her sister, who made a gesture with her chin, encouraging her. The young brunette sighed.

"Is everything all right,mother?" The question was not enough to take the woman's eyes off the device.

"It's nothing to worry about. Just a customer who is making it difficult in the negotiations." She took a sip of the steaming black coffee.

After Jo Parker moved with Coven to Chicago, she invested in a company that manufactured hospital equipment. The other families also took her steps, and today they run the company and its affiliates, all geared toward hospital machinery.

Lizzie lowered the cutlery, "I'm sure everything will work out."

The woman finally raised her blue eyes to her daughters, and gave a tight smile, "I hope so, Elizabeth. At night we will have an important meeting with the elders and the rest of the Council, I can not wear off with the negotiations with the new hospital . "

Josie's eyebrows rose, she opened her mouth to speak, but her mother interrupted.

"And no, you two can not participate."

Josie tried to resist the urge to make a pout with her mother's words.

"Apparently she's still as delicate and lovely as ever." The mocking voice said.

Josie's head rose so quickly that the brunette felt her neck crack. Behind her mother was Kai,his back against the wall as he nudged his cuticle. Josie could feel the wicked look hidden behind the wizard's lashes.

The talisman with Kai's essence was hidden by the school uniform, nestled in the girl's bust. Josie could feel the warmth of the stone pulsing over and over again.

Lizzie got up, adjusting her uniform skirt, "Come on, Josie. We're almost late for class."

Conformed, the brunette began to follow her sister out of the room. Hopefully,she casted a glance at the table.

"Bye mom."

The woman did not answer. Josie ignored Kai's look of compassion, lowered her head, and followed her sister.

~•~

"Didn't your mother say you could not attend to the meeting? "

"Technically I'm not attending the meeting ... just watching from afar." Josie murmured to her uncle, the two of them were in a small hidden room, whose only door was one of the innumerable shelves in the library. A secret room.

"I think the correct term is snooping around." Malachai pinned, the teenager only rolled her eyes in response.

The room had a desk, but that was not what interested the brunette, but the small window that gave a privileged view of the room in which the Council met. The small window was rectangular, with the size of a smartphone, and covered by a thin grid with peeling paint.

With the view that Josie had, she could see the huge council room from above, the little window was on top of one of the huge paintings that decorated the room where the meeting took place.

In the oversized meeting room were two long tables of dark mahogany in parallel, the left for the elders, and the right for the chiefs of the most important families of the Coven, each with six chairs with silver details.

In the end, between the two tables, there was almost a kind of throne, which was raised by a step. The throne was not extravagant, even simple, endured by symbols in the dark mahogany wood that matched the tables.

That was the leader's chair, and her mother was in it at the moment, her hand tightening on the upholstery hard, Josie could almost see a vein jutting around her neck, she looked angry.

"What are they talking about, eh?" Kai grunted and stood beside the niece, both squeezing against the small window.

Josie scanned the room, and found the source of her mother's irritation.

At the right table, a man was standing, his torso covered with his expensive suit, and his chin raised in pride. Josie recognized those auburn hair from any distance. It was Conrad Harrington, the father of the little witch's best friend.

"Conrad? Is he in the council?" Kai's voice dripped in disgust, his nose contorted in irritation, Josie noticed that she made the same gesture when she became irritated.

"Apparently you know him," She mumbled.

The siphon shrugged, "We have a past, not a very nice one,by the way."

The brunette imagined that most of Kai's past with the Coven members should not be very pleasant.

Conrad was in the middle of a speech, "... Even though the Gemini Coven is one of North America's most powerful conventions and all our advances, it is undeniable that our magic is slowly diminishing."

One of the elders scratched his beard with his bony fingers, "And what solution do you propose to us, Harrington."

The broad-shouldered man ran a hand through his hair, "We need a powerful leader, we need The Merge to renew our magic."

Josie's mother spoke, the anger contained in her tone, "We already agreed that the ritual will happen when the twins complete their eighteenth birthday."

Conrad curled his lips defiantly, "I do not see why we shouldn't advance the ritual."

Josie's body froze, her shoulders stiff and tight. Griffin's father's speech was enough to lift the chaos in the meeting, everyone was arguing at the same time.

The witch felt Kai's hand on her shoulder, her eyes meeting the warlock's dark browns orbs with concern.

Conrad's words were ringing in his mind, _'Advancing the Merge?'_ She thought, Josie had not even made it to her sixteen birthday yet, it was less than a month away.

She felt the rough hand of hwr uncle pull at her wrist, "Let's get out of here."

~•~

A few days later, it was possible to feel the enormous tension that surrounded the family. The twins noticed how stressed their mother looked. Lizzie was sure it had to do with the company's business, but Josie had been strangely tense in recent Lizzie could feel an uneasiness over their bond.

The class was over, but the students at Lake Forest Academy always stayed after class. The school provided numerous extracurricular activities for teens, who often preferred to stay than to go home. In addition, they were in the last week of school , so everyone was enjoying the last few days with friends before traveling.

The tall blonde finally spotted her sister's brown hair in the sea of students in the hallway. She sprinted toward Josie, her blond ponytail swinging with her footsteps.

"Hey, Jo!"

The brunette looked around, confused at the sound of her name, and Lizzie noticed that she carried, as always, her briefcase with the violin.

"Liz, aren't you late for badminton training?"

"I still have time." The two of them began to walk side by side toward the music room on the third floor. The hallways were almost empty with the flow of people.

"I just wanted to talk." The tall one shrugged, "You're kind of weird these days. On alert. I'm pretty sure I caught you talking to yourself sometimes."

Josie lifted her shoulders and her eyebrows came together. Her eyes darted to something behind Lizzie's right shoulder. When the witch turned her body, she found only the green lockers with silver details,the school's colors.

Josie's hand on her forearm woke her.

"It's no big deal, Liz. I had a small fight with Griffin and I did not talk to him today." The brunette bit the inner wall of her cheek.

Liar, the blonde thought.

They both arrived at the stairs at the end of the hallway.

"Do not worry, Elizabeth. I have to go to the music room." Josie nervously gripped the handle of her briefcase. "Your workout will start soon. See you at dinnertime."

Lizzie watched her sister hurry up the stairs. She sighed and went in the opposite direction, heading down to the gym.

The blonde tried to ignore the uneasynes at the back of her mind. She didn't have a good feeling.

~•~

The door and the window of the music room were safely locked. Josie was sitting in the middle of the room, Kai's grimoire open in front of her.

The siphon was pacing around the room, poking the instruments like a child. Josie never imagined that the sociopath uncle that the elders cursed would be like a hyperactive child.

"Are you going to show me what you wanted or not?" Josie growled.

Kai waved his hand, "Patience,my young Padawan." He sat opposite the teenager on the floor, the Grimoire open in the middle of the two.

Josie looked at the yellowed page, "What are these symbols?"

The siphon opened a smile, "These are not symbols, dear niece. They are runes."

Josie tipped her head to the side. The runes written on the page were almost rudimentary, the letters had almost no curvature, just straight lines.

"It looks familiar ..." The brunette murmured, "Is this Nordic?"

Kai raised his eyebrow, "It seems like you're not as slow as I thought."

Josie rolled her eyes so hard that the wizard almost thought they would get stuck.

"I've never seen any witches use Nordic runes. All our spells are in Latin."

"Story time! Before, I was completely obsessed with siphoning as much magic as possible. The problem is that it would always go away very quickly."

Josie bit her lower lip, "The only people I've ever siphoned on are my sister and Griffin."

"Your boyfriend?" Kai scoffed.

"Not your idiot, my friend." Josie's eyebrows came together, "The rest of the Coven never got too close to me."

Kai gulped, "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"They see you as my _legacy_ ,Josie. They seem to treat you worse than they did to me, I feel like this is my fault. "

"Partially yes, you did several bad things from their point of view, but most of it is their fault. I've known you three days and you've treated me better than they have in years."

Kai opened a simple smile, "Toujours le Même,Josie."

Josie's brown eyes darted to the talisman with it's chain wrapped around her wrist, _Always the Same_ was carved surrounded by two jasmine branches.

"What do these runes do?"

"Each one means something, little Josie. And each has its own power, its own magic."

Josie's eyes widened in excitement.

"But it's not that simple. You can not just write a rune and expect something to happen." He pointed to the grimoire. "They need to be written with a specific object."

He took the grimoire and folded it, creating a gap between the leather cover and the spine of the book. From the inside something fell,like a pen, but it was thicker and its body was made of twisted obsidian, at its tip was nailed a prism-shaped red crystal like the tip of a pencil.

"This is a volcanic crystal, very rare to find. It helps activate the power of the runes."

Josie blinked repeatedly, "That ... Is this a Stele?"

Kai's shoulders slumped, "Yes." He muttered quietly.

Josie burst out laughing, she could have sworn she saw a vein jump in irritation on her uncle's forehead.

"I can not believe you read _The Mortal Instruments_! Who would have thought you liked teen romance?"

Now it was Kai's turn to roll his eyes, "It's a wonderful universe, and it was their runes that instigated me to research the Norse runes. And for your information, I'm an hopeless romantic."

He continued, "Do you have any stones out there? Or something that is not flammable."

Josie scanned the music room until her eyes stopped at the paper weight on the table. She picked up the object.

"What are we going to do with this?"

"If I draw a rune with Stele on paper, it will catch on fire. Viking witches used to carve them on stones, and today, dear niece, you will carve your first rune.

Kai handed the Stele to Josie, it was strangely heavy, and the slightly reddish crystal glinted in the room's light

"How about we start with a simple one." Kai's index finger poised over a rune, underneath it was written _good luck_.

Josie took a deep breath and drew the Stele closer to the stone. Before she even touched the surface, the crystal began to glow. The witch drew the first line, a small hiss coming from the stone. A bright trail was left behind where the crystal passed. and the stone warmed in her hand.

When it was over, Josie let out the air she didn't even notice she was holding. She looked happily at the rune,sort of an 'X', but on the top right corner was connected with two small lines.

However, what made Josie happy was the proud look on Kai's face, his eyes sparkling brightly.

"Let's see if it works." He grinned and handed her a coin. "Heads or tails?"

"Heads." Josie carefully positioned the stone with the rune in her left thigh. She picked up the coin and tossed it up.

"Heads."

Tossed it again.

"Heads."

And again.

"Heads." Josie's smile widened.

He threw it one last time.

"Heads."

Kai ruffled her hair affectionately, "Good job, you little witch."

A curious thought came into Josie's mind, "Why did the witches stop using the runes?"

"It was not very advantageous to them, that they could only make simpler runes, like this, they could never use the more complicated ones that held a greater power. And soon after the Latin spells arrived."

"Why could not they use the powerful runes?"

"Because, my dear niece, that kind of rune required a special kind of witch."

Josie sucked in the air, surprised. "A siphon?"

Kai nodded.

"But why?"

"Those runes were too powerful to be studded with stones. They had to be carved in the skin."

"And the witches couldn't do that?"

Kai denied, "The magic was very strong, and it drove them mad, because they could not absorb the magic of the runes. But we can."

Kai pointed to another rune in the corner of the page, a rune of protection.

"This is the simplest protection rune.But marking them on the skin is not something simple. If you put something that you are not yet ready to withstand the consequences it will be disastrous."

He knelt behind the teenager, "The process is a little. painful, but you get used to it over time."

Josie swallowed, "I'm ready."

She neared Stele to her left forearm and traced the first line, the crystal glittered and Josie's skin burned. The brunette clenched her jaw and her fist tightly, the tip of Stele left a black line like charcoal behind.

It took a few minutes for the rune to be complete, Josie took a few pauses to calm down. The forehead skin was slightly reddish around the rune lines, a trace in the middle, and two types of 'V' lying down cut through the middle line.

Josie was breathless, a euphoric felling washed over her.When she looked at Kai, he had the same cheerful smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was bigger to make up for the time without posting.
> 
> What did you think?
> 
> Did you like the moments of Kai and Josie?
> 
> What did you think of Conrad, Griffin's father.
> 
> I took inspiration from the runes of "The Mortal Instruments", but I decided to use the Norse runes because they combine more with the story.
> 
> If anyone would like to see what are the runes Josie used, here's the link:
> 
> https://pin.it/764x343f6in4bf
> 
> What are your thoughts in Kai's Horcrux?
> 
> What are your theories for the next chapter? What about Lizzie's bad feeling?


	5. Blood Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost midnight in brazil,and I can't understand what I'm writing.
> 
> Sorry if the translation is bad.

#  **Blood Sacrifice**

It didn't take long for Josie to realize that Kai was the most annoying person she'd ever met. And the son of a bitch did it on purpose, and didn't bother to disguise the artful glint in his gaze.

The two of them walked the streets of the Chicago neighborhood where the Coven resided. The houses were basically mansions and far apart, unfortunately Griffin's house was a little far from the Parker family Manor, which earned Josie a walk alongside the so annoying sociopath.

The siphon spent exactly five minutes and a few seconds whistling whistlingly to the tune of Twisted Nerve.

A pebble flew and hit the warlock's forehead.

"Damn you, Josie! You're violent, huh?"

As they passed the lamppost Josie could see that the man was not injured, and wondered if he could bleed in that ' _astral_ ' form.

"And you are annoying."

The man rolled his brown eyes, "Is it going to take too long to get to your sweetheart's house?"

Another stone hit his shoulder.

"Okay,I'll stop.Done!"

"The house is after that corner."

Kai began to walk backwards, surveying the forest surrounding all the houses.

"Isn't it kind of dangerous to walk here at night?" As if to emphasize his speech, an owl scampered down into the woods to grab it's prey.

"A little, yes. But everyone in the neighborhood is from the Coven, so I don't think it's really dangerous for us."

"And what's after the woods?"

Josie shrugged, "It's not too big, maybe half a mile." The witch kicked the sidewalk, her school bag with her ggrimoire slung over her left shoulder, her right hand carried the violin case. Kai thought the instrument was almost a third member of the girl.

"I think after the woods, in that direction," she pointed behind the nearest mansion, "There's a road."

Kai took the opportunity to grab his niece's left wrist, "Don't you think you're too old to wear this?" He mocked pointing at the girl's watch.

It was an vintage Mikey Mouse watch,collector's edition,. The worn leather strap almost never comes off the brunette's wrist.

Josie looked at the smiling little face of the mouse, "Lizzie gave in our birthday when we were nine. It was all so simple back then when we weren't aware of the Merge. For me, it's a reminder that no matter how hard my day is, smiling can make things better. "

Josie's smartphone beeped in her back pocket, a new message. Kai put his face on her shoulder, almost making her loose balance.

"You're really nosy,you know? "

The siphon just laughed and took the smartphone from his niece's hand.

"Speaking of the devil. It's your sister, wondering if you're home yet."

"I'll answer her later."

Malachai opened a game on her cell phone, and the sound of zombie grunts broke the silence of the street.

"You and your sister seem to be close ... A little different from my situation."

"I think you forgot you massacred half of your family, and cut out my mother's spleen with a hunting knife." Josie said incredulously.

The siphon shrugged as he pressed the buttons to kill the zombies. A maniac smile barely covered by his thin beard.

"My connection with Lizzie is stronger than usual. Most of the Coven doesn't know, but we can feel each other's emotions when they are strong."

"Curious." He trailed off.

They passed another streetlight, the last one before the mansion. A strange feeling ran through Josie's body,a shiver ran through her neck. Kai looked up, alert.

"Feel that?" Josie asked.

"It's magic. Someone is performing a ritual nearby. It's completely normal for us siphons to feel when a place or object has a strong magical energy."

Josie shifted her weight from one leg to the other and tightened her grip on the briefcase strap.

"Sometimes I feel uncomfortable when I go to the part of the grimoire where the magical artifacts are stored. But this energy is different, it seems ... _corrupted_.

Kai handed her the cell phone, eyebrows raised together in confusion, "I think it's coming from your friend's house."

Josie vehemently denied, "All rituals are supervised by someone important from the Council, and scheduled advance. My mother didn't mention anything about a ritual this week."

Kai smiled, showing the canines, "We only have one way to find out."

And sprinted out toward the house, pulling the brunette by the wrist.

~ • ~

They walked through the back door, the front door locked. The house was quiet, but the lights were mostly on.

"Maybe Griffin is in his room." Josie suggested.

They went to the second floor, and the brunette opened the door to her friend's room. It was empty.

Kai looked down the hall, "I think it's coming from there."

Josie swallowed, "That's Conrad's office." She exchanged a worried look with the man, "Do you think we should go there?"

~ • ~

Conrad's private studio said a lot about the man. It was dark, the furniture red and brown, the same color as the huge bear rug on the floor.

Kai was curiously looking at the huge floor-to-ceiling painting, and it was the same width as the desk in front of it. The painting seemed to portray one of the levels of Hell proposed by Dante in his first volume of Divine Comedy.

"I always knew he was a psycho." Kai snapped his tongue in the roof of his mouth, "Who in their right mind puts this in the office?" He asked.

"It takes one to recognize another." Josie answered, ignoring her uncle's sour look.

A wave of magic passed through the brunette's body and she massaged her temples,Josie was not used to being close to such magic, and her body was showing signs.

Kai approached, "It's normal for such reactions, usually I just had headaches, but you're not used to it. I think it's dangerous for you to have a sensory overload."

Josie cleared her throat, "I'm fine." She took the first step, but her knees gave way. The brunette tried to grab the edge of the desk, knocking over a few things in the process.

"Josie!" Kai was beside her in the blink of an eye.

The brunette raised her head and noticed something strange. The small statue of the Greek goddess Hecate that stood on the edge of the table — and which she thought had toppled over — was tilted at a ninety-degree angle, with a small metal rod sticking out of its base, connecting it to the table.

Josie was about to comment on the quirk when a sudden move diverted their attention.

The 'Hell' painting had begun to move, and behind it was a spiral staircase that descended the floor. The stone walls were lit by enchanted stones like the one Josie had in her backpack.

The magic went up dramatically and Josie could hear the murmur of voices.

Kai swallowed, "I think we should go home."

But the brunette seemed in a trance and was already getting to her feet. The siphon had no choice but to follow his niece, who was already strolling around the desk.

Josie's cell phone rang in her back pocket, but it wasn't enough to stop her from going down the first step of the stairs.

~ • ~

Josie's footsteps echoed up the spiraling stone staircase, the curved walls of bewitched stones giving her an almost claustrophobic feel. But even that did not take her from the strange trance she was in.

Kai came after the teenager, his broad shoulders tense and his hands clenched into fists, his breathing shallow and his eyes alert.

The staircase ended in a spiral and continued straight until it was soon after. The two arrived in a kind of mezzanine in a huge room. At the end of the mezzanine was another stone staircase that led to the floor of the huge room.

The voices were clearer. Josie approached the edge of the mezzanine - careful not to be seen - the border that slammed into the girl's belly button, and then hid half her body in a huge column. She gasped when her eyes caught what was happening meters below under the illumination of countless candles.

The first thing she noticed was the circle of people dressed in black tunics, who chanted an ancient chant that made the brunette's neck stand on end. They stood around an altar.

The brunette's knees buckled when she realized what was on the altar. Two naked girls were impaled by deer antlers protruding from various parts of their bodies. Blood dripped on the marble altar, and Josie's stomach turned as she saw the strange hard and sharp symbols in the body of the two girls.

"Holy shit ..." Kai gasped.

Josie couldn't take her eyes off the two girls, their eyes open in a blank expression and their mouths twisted in terror. Both bodies had their throats cut so deep that Josie could see the white of the bones.The dripping blood was so dark and viscous that bordered and almost black color. Between the two girls was another pair of horns, still empty.

Josie wanted to throw up. The corrupted dark magic made her dizzy and nauseous.

_"Ek kallfyrirr goddesanhelar,may hon grants mik maktinn hon ðeholðs fyrir mik til vald khaos._

_Mayblooðinnr ór þrírinn species ór supernaturalinn munu œrinn fyrir hantilr bless oss með kunnustarinn ok makt ór gamallinn ok gamall goðs."_

Josie's attention went to the unexpected voice.It was Conrad. Dressed in the same black tunic, in his left hand a ceremonial dagger with strange symbols. Another girl was naked with her back against the man's torso, which held her hair tightly with his free hand. She had a body carved with different marks from the other two, blood dripping from the cuts. She was crying and kicking, but she couldn't run away.

"Josie ... let's get out of here." The siphon tried to get her attention, but it was no use.

_"Mayhonr gefr oss magicinn vér truly deserve,may vér vald khaos sem eingainn real law ór okkarr óiverse._

_Góddèss ór darkrinn,take þessi rauda sacrifice inn þinn honor,aid oss inn okkarr för fyrir trueinn makt."_

Conrad continued to chant the spell in that tongue so old it sounded like a snake hissing, a manic look on his face. The hooded wizards around them chanted their loudest.

In a flash, Conrad cut the girl's throat in his arms and Josie jumped as she watched the girl's blood stain the white marble.

A thud sounded in the room and everyone's attention went to Josie's direction, who didn't even notice that she dropped the violin case on the stone floor.

Conrad's green eyes were wide, as if he didn't expect to have an interruption in the ritual. His jaw clenched when he realized where Josie was, his eyes squinting. Blood splatters adorned his rock-hardened face.

The witch was sure he would kill her right there.

Before the teenager could have any reaction, Conrad's hand had already raised and the knife in his grip cut the air. The target was clearly Josie.

When the blade was about to strike her, it swerved. As if an invisible force had changed its course.

Josie felt a burn in her left biceps, and hot liquid seeping down her arm, soiling her uniform.

Kai's voice roused her.

"JOSIE! RUN!"

And that's what she did.

"Kill her!" Conrad's powerful voice boomed through the ritual chamber.

~ • ~

By the time Josie stumbled to Cornad's office it was too late. One of the robed wizards was already there. He cast a curse, but again the unknown force acted and the spell hit the bookcase.

The realization came in a second, _the protection rune_.

Josie did the first offensive spell that came to mind, " _Ossox!_ "

The sickening sound of bones breaking and the man's screams were not enough to take the focus off the brunette, who continued to run down the corridor.

Her victory did not last long,she arrived in the living room and was cornered by two other wizards.

The words of the incantations seemed to flow from Josie's mouth without hesitation, " _Lihednat Dolchitni_!" She shouted, Kai's necklace shining between her shirt as she siphoned the power of the stone.

They both dropped to their knees, hands on their necks as they choked gasping for air.

She ran to the front door, but a force threw her into the wall. Josie screamed in pain.

Conrad appeared in her sight, his raised hand using telekinesis was red,a blood glove to his forearm. His reddish-brown hair was messy and it stuck to his forehead with sweat.

He let out a nasty laugh, "All these years wanting to get rid of your filthy existence, and I finally have a chance." He practically growled, his green eyes sparkling wildly. His hand tightened into a fist and Josie felt her throat close. She was choking.

She could see Kai behind the man, he was shouting something, but Josie could no longer understand. Consciousness was beginning to slip away when she realized what to do.

She opened her mouth with difficulty and felt the jewel in the necklace warm against her chest.

"Vatos," she whispered.

At the same moment several objects in the room exploded and headed toward the man. Shards clung to his skin and he growled in agony.

Josie fell to the floor, knees weak. The spell was enough to distract the man, but not for long. Unfortunately he was in the doorway, so Josie ran in the opposite direction to the kitchen.

A witch came toward her, but Josie acted fast. She used telekinesis to throw a vase at her head, and only had time to hear the sound of her body falling to the ground behind her as she ran.

She arrived in the kitchen, but no way out. Kai was behind her.

"Jump through the window!" He exclaimed, his eyes frantic.

The sound of footsteps coming toward her was enough to make a decision. She threw herself hard against the glass.

Eventually she fell into a bush, scraping her body with a few cuts. But she didn't spend time, grabbed the straps of her school bag, and darted into the woods.

"Don't let her get away!" She heard Conrad's voice roar from the house.

The goons spent no time chasing her. Their voices were loud with the sound of the forest animals.

Josie ran with Kai by her side, tripping over the roots of the huge trees, the dirt coming in through the cuts made them burn, but she always rose with her uncle's appeals.She couldn't feel the tears running down her cheeks.She couldn't see nothing in the darkness.

"Can't go home," Kai gasped. "It will be the first place they will look for you!"

"The road!" Exclaimed the brunette, "I have to get there!"

Josie tightened her legs, and the voices of Conrad's men grew more and more distant

Finally they reached the side of the road. There was a white last edition pickup truck parked on the side of the road, the driver was peeing in a tree not far away.

Without thinking twice, she jumped as quietly as possible into the back of the car, Kai repeated the action. Josie quickly covered herself with the smelly blankets that were there. It didn't take half a minute and the owner got in the car, the engine noise was a relief for the girl. As the car started to accelerate Josie took a deep breath and leaned her head against the cold metal.

It wasn't long before the adrenaline subsided and the pain hit like a truck. Carefully, she lifted the left sleeve of her school uniform, and saw the cut that Conrad's knife caused her.

"This is awful." Kai scowled.

Josie growled, "Oh really? I didn't even notice."

With difficulty, she took the backpack from her back, opened it and handed the grimoire to her uncle.

"I need a healing rune." The brunette's eyes dropped to her left forearm, where the protective rune was faded with the use. She could hardly see it.

The siphon scratched his beard and pointed to the healing rune, "The problem is that you need to draw it over the wound."

Josie bit her lip, "Why do I have a feeling it's going to hurt like hell?"

Kai gave her a sadistic smile, "That's because it surely will."

Josie swallowed and tucked the leather strap of her bag between her teeth. She grabbed the _Stele_ with her right hand and began to make the marks.

The pain of the burn was horrible, and Josie could only bite the leather so as not to grunt so loud and alert the driver. The skin burned at the tip of Stela that left a charcoal trace behind, the worst part was when the lines passed through the deep and bloody cut.

By the time it was finished,her nostrils were already used to the scent of burnt flesh. Sweat ran down her forehead and stopped at Siphon's eye lashes. Amid the pain, Josie wondered if Lizzie was safe, and what would be Conrad's next move.

"Sleep, little witch. The night is long and full of terrors." Kai's solemn voice gave her some comfort and exhaustion came.

The last images that came to mind were those of the ritual. The bloody girls with marks embedded in the skin by Conrad's knife. The hard and strange symbols flooded her mind like a sea of merciless horrors as she felt the throbbing in her arm slowly subside.

~ • ~

Josie woke up with a bump in the middle of the night. When she pulled the blanket off her head she saw that the truck had stopped at a gas station. She quickly gathered her belongings and jumped out of the car, running unnoticed to the side of the convenience store.

Kai appeared beside Josie, leaning against the dirty smelly wall.

"I don't think you will like to know where we are."

"The farther from Chicago the better."

"We're on the edge of a small town in the middle of Indiana."

Josie cured, "Shit! How long have I slept?"

Kai shrugged, "About four hours, almost. Do you have any destiny in mind?"

The witch bit the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. "They probably must have already done a locating spell. I need to find a motel to do a cloaking spell as soon as possible." She leaned against the wall next to her uncle, "After that, I'll head south."

"And how are you going to get money for a motel, dear niece."

Josie's shoulders dropped, "I hadn't thought of that."

Kai snapped his tongue in the roof of his mouth, "You're lucky I already planned ahead." He reached out and pointed lazily at the ATM on the other side of the post.

"Do you want me to steal an ATM?"

"Telekinesis has many uses, and that's one of them." Said in a funny tone.

The two approached the machine. The electronic lights gleamed in Josie's apprehensive face. The brunette glanced into the shop, the only person being a teenager leaning over the box with headphones and spiky hair.

"We don't have all night, Josette."

The witch ignored her uncle and concentrated. She fumbled her palm and felt the air vibrate. She closed her fingers slowly and the metal of the cashier began to squirm. The crack of metal made Josie take a step back, and the cash notes flew through the air.

Kai burst out laughing and Josie followed him. He reached for a high five.

"That's how you do it!"

Josie stole a look at the store, but the cashier was still entertained with a cell phone game.

"Will you stand there brooding, or will you get the bloody money?" Kai inquired, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

~ • ~

The motel room was awful, the walls peeling with seepage and the fan didn't work. But it was enough for now.

Josie managed to get some candles and herbs with the owner, who was not so happy with the orders, but nothing that money couldn't solve.

Josie was sitting on the floor around a circle of candles, her grimoire open on the floor. Kai jumped on the lumped mattress.

"I need a stronger cloaking spell than they know." She muttered as she run her eyes through the book pages. "Probably can't stand another rune, I'm exhausted."

Kai dropped to the mattress, "I know a very efficient one. I used it at my dear sister's wedding."

Josie arched an eyebrow, "You mean the same spell you used to break into the ceremony and murder my father?"

The siphon rolled his eyes and gestured with his hand, "That was way too long ago."

"What is the spell?"

The grimoire pages turned by themselves until they stopped at one page close to the beginning. Josie took a deep breath and copied the drawing from the book with salt, put her hands on the book and repeated the words.

"There. Now they can't find you." Kai assured her.

Josie shook her head, "Not yet. There's another spell I need to do."

"Is it in the grimoire?"

"No. I know it by heart." She rearranged the position of the candles to form a five-pointed star.

"What does this spell do?"

"It breaks my connection with Lizzie."

Kai looked confused, "But why do you want this?"

"Remember I mentioned that my bond with Lizzie was stronger than yours with my mother?" Josie drew symbols with the crushed herbs around each candle.

"Think of it as a thread that connects us a channel through which we share strong enough feelings."

Kai's thick eyebrows rose in understanding. "They can use this channel to track you down."

Josie nodded, and looked at the cut that was almost closing on her left biceps, "Lizzie probably felt that pain."

"But how do you know this spell?"

"I found it in the grimoire when I was thirteen. I thought if I end my connection to Lizze, we wouldn't have to do _The Merge_ " She rolled her eyes wondering how naive she was.

"It wouldn't work, the Parker blood line's curse is too deep and complex." Kai opined.

"I know. Another benefit of our connection is that we can feel each other, but this spell is like an obstacle in this bond, a barrier."

Kai got out of bed and paced the room thoughtfully, "You mean she'll think you're dead? Because she can't feel you on the other side of the bond, and vice versa."

The brunette swallowed and looked down, "It's reversible, but only I can do the counter spell." She muttered, her hand instinctively reaching for the birthmark on her right shoulder.

Kai took a deep breath, "If you're sure this is the right thing to do ..."

"I have."

"Just ..." Kai swallowed, "Be careful."

Josie gave him a small smile and began to chant.

" _Nemo unus animabus carnem et sanguinem de ista duo."_ As palavras em latim deixavam um gosto amargo na boca, _" Sanquinatum venetus barkael meh._ "

" _Nemo unus animabus carnem et sanguinem de ista duo.Sanquinatum venetus barkael meh._ "

Josie inhaled sharply, feeling like someone was squeezing her heart out. Short of breth,she fell with a silent scream, mouth open in agony.

Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks, she felt like she was falling off a cliff. The force that held her to the twin sister no longer existed. It was the worst feeling she had, the worst pain.

Kai's arms brushed against her, but the comfort of his whispers was not enough.

"* Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie ..." She murmured the blonde's name in sobs.

"It will be all right, it will be all right." Uncle muttered as he stroked her brown hair.

After a while, Josie managed to form a coherent sentence. She moved slightly away from Kai's torso and took a deep breath, clenching her trembling hands.

"We're alone now."

~ • ~

A few hours after rest, the day dawned. Kai had opened the weathered yellow curtains and the sun warmed Josie's pale skin. The brunette was in the middle of the bed, her legs crossed and a map on the sheets.

"I'm starving." She rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"I don't think it's a good idea to go back to the convenience store, and you're not in a position to walk downtown." Kai was propped against the window, his head thrown back as he took advantage of the sunlight. His niece had not had a good night's sleep, surrounded by nightmares when she finally close her eyes.

"Is there a energy rune?"

Kai gave her a rogue smile, "I like the way you think, dear niece."

After searching for the norse rune in the grimoire, Josie lifted her shirt and decided to mark the right side of her body between her hip and rib. The rune was a drawing of an 'R' with two lines sticking out of the vertical line.

"Are you ambidextrous?" Kai questioned, seeing the girl's mastery when handling _Stele_ with her left hand.

"Yes." She murmured in concentration, her tongue clenched between her teeth.

Kai moved closer, "You're getting better and better at this. It took me days to use more than two runes."

The effect of the mark was as if Josie had taken Redbull with espresso.

"I need resources," She pointed to the map, "Iron powder, sage, desert weed, potions, vervein... I can't walk off guard. There are other dangers besides Conrad and my Coven."

The siphon took a deep breath, inflating his chest, "There was a town not far from here ..." He scratched his beard as he searched the map, "With a peaceful Coven. The elderly family has a huge magic shop with everything you need."

Kai's finger stopped on the paper, "Right here! Greenville, four and a half hours south. Near Nashville."

"Greenville? Sounds familiar ..." said Josie.

"You've probably heard about the Peterson Coven in a book. They're an old family."

"But what if they recognize me somehow?"

"All you have to do, dear niece, is hide that birthmark." He pointed to where the collarbone met the girl's right shoulder, "If any warlock or witch sees this constellation on your skin, it's game over."

Josie scowled, the Gemini Coven is the strongest in North America, with connections across the country. The brunette knew that if anyone told her location she would have no escape.

~ • ~

They got off the bus at the bus station in the small town.

"Worst five hours of my life." Kai grunted as he massaged his back, "There is no more disgraceful creature than that child who sat behind you. I wish I had my beloved knife collection, that boy was going to beg that he never got out of his mother's vagina."

"I don't have a good feeling." Josie muttered as she surveyed her surroundings.

"Are you sure you just don't want to throw up a third time?" Kai intruded.

The teenager gave him a bitter look, "It's not my fault for not doing well on long trips."

The siphon studied the girl. A messy brown hair, dark circles caused by the sleepless nights, wandering empty eyes that darted around wildly looking for a surprise attack. Occasionally she ran her hand over the chain of Kai's necklace, making sure it was really safe.

Kai swallowed, no teenager was mentally strong enough to handle this kind of situation,and wondered if Josie would ever see her sister again and what Conrad would have done to the Parker family.

They walked along the sidewalk, Kai leading the girl toward the shop. Josie noticed the welcome sign in town.

" _Greenville ..._ " she whispered, lost in thought. However, she almost stumbled when she realized why the city was so familiar to her.

"Kai!" She exclaimed, "When was the last time you came here?"

"2014, I think. Why ask?

"There was a massacre here. A religious fanatic arrested five Coven witches at the local church with the intention of converting them, but ended up shooting them and setting everything on fire."

"Oh no."

"That's why I felt a strange and heavy force in the air."

The man looked up at the sky, "It's almost dark, we'd better get going."

Josie looked at the Mickey Mouse watch on her wrist with a sadness in her eyes, the glass was broken but it was nothing a spell didn't solve.

She didn't smile this time.

~•~

Apothecary & Remedies had a rather somber entrance. The door bell rang as Josie entered the room. The walls were lined with bookshelves, potions, and small vegetables and flowers that gave off a subtle scent in the shop.

On the left wall beside a staircase was the trunk of a tree, where it's roots dug into the wooden floor that were in Josie's footsteps. Bewitched stones on the branches shed light into the room.

A little girl was sitting on the stairs by the tree, a thick book in her lap. Looking at Josie curiously before opening her mouth to scream someone, Josie noticed that she had a missing upper tooth.

"Grandma Ruth!" The girl squeaked.

An old woman appeared through the beaded curtain behind the counter. Age marks appeared on her dark skin, a sharp mole between her lip and nose, her wrists adorned with bracelets that jingled as she moved. Josie noticed the woman's glassy eyes,she was blind.

"How can I help you, outsider?"

She exchanged a look with Kai before pulling a short list out of her pocket. Josie was about to recite all the items that were written, but another woman emerged from behind the counter.Probably in her late thirties,she had the same beauty mark as Ruth and Josie assumed it was her daughter.

"Welcome, my name is Cassandra Peterson." She said with a maternal smile on her face, reached a hand out in a silent request for Josie's list.

Josie remembered the four Coven Peterson witches who were massacred in the church years ago.

"Thanks." She answered sheepishly. Cassandra walked around the counter and began collecting all the items on the list in her hand.

"Where are you from, girl?" Ruth's hoarse voice called to her.

Josie was startled as she turned to see the old lady who was now by her side. _How did she move so quietly with so many bracelets?_ , She thought. Kai's giggles sounded as if he had read her thoughts.He glanced at both women with something that bordered on affection.

"I come from north." It was the sorely response from the brunette.

"Be careful if you stay too long." Cassandra said, voice soft as honey, "Greenville is no longer as safe as before." She came back with a paper bag, with everything Josie had asked for.

The teenager handed over the money with a solemn nod, "I don't plan to extend my stay."

She was about to turn when Ruth's bony, firm hand gripped her right shoulder, "Be careful,Josie witch. _The night is long and full of terrors_." The callused thumb caressed the birthmark of the twin Gemini, covered by the denim jacket. The old woman's milky eyes stared dead at Josie's brown.

"Send your uncle my regards." That's all she said before turning and disappearing into the curtain of beads.

It was only a few feet away from the store that the siphon remembered that she never gave her name to the old woman.

~•~

"That thing Ruth said ..." Josie started as they walked down the sidewalk looking for a motel. It was already dark, the last remnants of the sun a reddish blur on the horizon.

"The night is long and full of terrors. It's an old saying, a warning to traveling witches to beware, we always had many enemies. I met Ruth several years ago after leaving my first world prison, she gave me shelter for a night before I resumed my trip. "

The sound of a trash can falling into alley made Josie stand alert, her hand raised and the words of a spell on the tip of her tongue.

"It was just a cat, Josette."

The back of the Siphon's neck was crawling, she swallowed hard and tried to ignore the acidity in the pit of her stomach. They walked back, but it wasn't long before the sound of footsteps came from behind them.

Kai glanced back, "Okay, don't freak out, but there are two guys following you."

Josie tightened the hold on strap of her backpack until her knuckles whitened. She looked over her eyelashes at the end of the street, another man was propped against the lamppost.

The brunette's neck shivered, "I don't think they're human, Kai." She whispered.

The two men behind her started running. Josie only had time to assimilate sharp canines and red eyes before she reacted.

" _Ossox_ " The two vampires fell to the floor, the sound of breaking bones almost bringing a smile to the witch's face.

Suddenly Josie had been thrown against the alley wall. The third blond-haired vampire hung her viciously, his fangs so white they reflected the dim streetlight. He lowered his face and bit the brunette's jugular.

The pain was immense, and Josie could only scream. Kai's voice was as loud as hers, but he could do nothing but shout a spell at his niece.

" _Motus_ " Josie choked on the spell. The man flew until he hit the lamppost. Blood dripped down to stain the girl's collar.

" _Inferno_ " she shouted, and the blonde's body was filled with blue flames.

The other two vampires were beginning to heal. Josie used telekinesis to keep them in place.

"Use one to cause pain." Kai whispered in her ear.

" _Ah Sha Lana.Ah Sha Lana._ " The talisman's jewel shone so bright it passed a warmth to the skin of the chest, but it did not burn.

Their screams made the corner of Josie's mouth curl, the spell so old and strong it made blood run down their eyes and nose.

With an arched brow Josie announced, "If you like blood so much, why don't you choke on it?" She growled, and with a lift of her wrist, blood began to flow from their mouths, both clutched their necks in agony.

" _Le Specto Tre Colo Ves Bestia_." Their hearts flew out of their chest and right into Josie's outstretched hands. Breathless and euphoric, she didn't even bother with the slimy liquid running down her forearms and the dull thud of bodies falling on the asphalt.

She tried to take a step, but her knees buckled and meet the asphalt. Both organs rolled across the floor as Josie tried to support her own weight.

She was exhausted, her head was throbbing, and her blood lost was leaving it's effects from the vampire's bite,the one who was now in ashes. _And why was everything spinning?_

Kai knelt in front of her, his hands reaching the witch's jaw, "Josie! I know you're not used to using so much magic, but you can't pass out now! It's not safe!"

Her uncle's voice seemed so far away, her eyelids were heavy and she just wanted to take a goddamn nap.

The last thing she heard before blacking out was a male voice saying:

" _Davina, look!Come here quickly!_ "

~ • ~

"Do you think it was a good idea to bring her here?"

"She needed help, Kol. She was injured."

They both looked at the teenage girl sleeping in the guest bed in the couple's rented loft.

"I still think we should take a look at her backpack, Davina." Kol complained like a child.

The witch rolled her blue eyes, "Shut up and help me get that blood-soaked jacket off her."

"If you haven't noticed by now, the girl is all bloody, my love." But in anyway he obeyed his wife.

"Oh no ..." Kol whispered as he pulled the jeans off her right shoulder.

Davina's eyes darted to the same place her husband was analyzing.

"That can't be real."

They both analyzed the girl's birthmark, a gemini constellation.

"Shouldn't she be in Chicago? The whole Coven must be looking for her." Davina muttered.

"She's a Parker, isn't she?" Kol shrugged, "Maybe she ran away because of the ritual, it shouldn't be easy to murder your own twin."

"I don't think it was just for that reason." Davina muttered, blue eyes on the brunette's left arm. "Look at this."

Kol's mouth opened in shock, "Is that a rune ?!"

Davina nodded, even if she didn't need to. The husband was familiar enough with the ancient symbols.

"She marked it in her skin, so that means she's ..."

Davina vocalized the words , "A Siphon."

~ • ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear Hope will appear in the next chapter.
> 
> Speaking of which, since this fanfic is top Hope, I'm thinking of making her taller than Josie, unlike canon.
> 
> Anyway, Josie is getting closer to New Orleans now that she has met Kol and Davina, who are of much importance in this story.
> 
> And she will not hesitate to use violence to survive, Kai will greatly influence her in this matter.
> 
> What kind of ritual do you think Conrad was doing? He didn't hesitate to kill to achieve his goals, so he'll still be a big problem for Josie.
> 
> What are your theories ??
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	6. Silver Ring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait,but translating almost 6000 words to English is boring and stressful.

# Silver Ring

Her brush strokes were precise on the rough canvas, her right hand mastered the brush, and the studio exuded the familiar smell of oil paint and coffee.

The city lights reflected off the window glass near the girl, who was wearing a blouse stained with different colors, and her bare feet against the cold wooden floor that crackled at the slightest movement. Occasionally a strand of crimson hair fell into her vision but nothing took off her concentration.

Two quick knocks on the wood, and her mother leaned in the doorway, "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Hope dipped the brush in red paint and made a curved stroke on the canvas, "Dawn is the time for inspiration." The girl's lips parted in her breath.

"You've been waking up a lot at this time."

"That's when the dreams are still fresh in my mind."

Hayley approached her daughter, leaning over her shoulders, "Could you see the girl's face at last?"

Hope denied it, and another strand fell into her eyes, her mother lovingly locked it behind her ear, "Only half ..."

The woman studied the almost finished painting. The figure of a girl, with dark curls covering much of her beautiful face, her arms - covered with black marks - in possession of a snow-white violin. The hands with thin, delicate fingers were bleeding from unseen cuts, and the red liquid dripped on the albino wood of the musical instrument, creating a sharp contrast.

"Why is she always involved in something dark?" Henley questioned.

Hope shrugged, and signaled to the other paintings, "Because in my dreams she always looks like this."

In one painting the unknown brunette was drowning, her arms outstretched in despair as her whole body was submerged in a blue expanse. In another painting, the girl was kneeling, her arms circling her body as if trying to protect herself, her head was down and a circle of blue fire around her.

Hope's hand stopped in mid air, "I've been feeling weird these past few days ..." she confessed.

Hayley tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"It's like ... if I had something deep in my mind that was previously numb, but now it's slowly waking up, like a warning instinct. And every moment it gets stronger, louder, as if it wants to warn me of something ... "The girl had a frustrated glint in her blue eyes, her hand tightened on the brush," I-I can't explain clearly ... Nor do I understand well to be able to do it. "

The mother patted her daughter's face, "We can ask your aunt Freya to do some spells to see if it's okay in the morning." The fingers came down to hold Hope's chin, "But now I need you to go back to your room, and sleep."

The redhead gave her a broken smile, "I'll try."

~ • ~

_There's a breeze blowing that makes Josie's long shirt flutter. She's not cold, no. The front of her body is hot, or rather pressed against something warm._ Someone.

_When her eyelids open,they revel in the beautiful horizon that is the blue of the sea meeting the orange and purple of the setting sky._

_Josie's face is buried in a long, sleek neck, and when Josie lovingly drags the icy tip of her nose she can see the goose bumps rising. Long auburn locks dance in the wind and Josie just watches, in a trance._

_In response to her act, Josie feels both hands on her waist enter the flowing blouse.The fingertips run down the lower curve of the spine, up to the rib line. Josie inspires, surprised by the sensations, her back arches and she is pressed further against a female body. Josie's feet sink into the fine sand of the beach, and when a wave breaks, the brunette can feel the coldness of saltwater meeting her skin._

_A laugh comes out close to her ear, Josie can feel the brush of lips on the cup of her ear. The girl pulls back a little and Josie's sight blurs. Lips descend a path through the brunette's right cheek to the corner of the lips, where they press and all Josie can do is see the stars in the setting sky and feel a hint of the cherry flavor of those lips._

_The girl tilts her head, Josie can't see her face clearly, lips are conveniently the only unblurry part. Such lips curl into a caring smile._

And then she is no longer at the beach.

_Josie feels the summer on her skin, the feel of soft grass pricking her back. Sunbeams are blocked by the leaves of the tree, but still find her face sometimes._

_"I can't believe classes start next week."_

Griffin

_Josie knows she is not in control of her own body as she sits, leaning against the thick trunk of the tree._ A memory.

_"Yeah." Josie murmured, her eyes were in the sparkling water of the lake. The tip of the blue bow that prevented the girl's hair from falling on her face flew in the warm wind of the season._

_"Something happened." Griffin stated. He knew his friend long enough to know when something was wrong, for her eyes were always emotionless, a bottomless pit that when you stared at them you saw only your own reflection, and nothing else._

_Josie blinked a few times, and was slow to answer, "Do you think I'm ... unstable?"_

_Griffin tilted his head, "What?"_

_The girl raised her hand, a ladybug strolling through her slender fingers to the tips marked by the violin strings, "The Coven's Elders." She blew gently and the ladybug opened it's wings in a flight._

_"They are 'worried' - a euphemism, of course, they weren't so delicate - about my mental health."_

_The boy played with his shoe's laces , "But for what reason?"_

_Josie leaned back against the tree trunk, bowing her head to block the stubborn sunbeams, "They want to know if I'll be like my uncle."_

_"But you're not a sociopath!"_

Josie shrugged, her fingers circling the constellation birthmark on her shoulder, "They didn't realize Malachai would be one as a child."

_Griffin didn't a_ _nswer, and Josie's eyes fell on him. The boy shivered when he saw her friend's gaze, empty, full of secrets,and you could never guess what's going on in her mind._

_"And are you?" He dared to ask_.

_Josie slowly looked away from the lake, the blue ribbon touched her cheek, "Let's hope not."_

~ • ~

When Josie opened her eyes, panic was her first reaction. She sat on the comfortable bed of this unfamiliar room, her frantic eyes searching for the nearest exit.

A window on your left, a door in the right corner.

Her eyes fell on the red glow of the digital watch.

_3:23 AM_

Her hand flew to the necklace around her neck, relieved to find it in place.

The bedroom door opened, and two figures entered. Josie reacted on instinct, standing by the bed, her hands raised with blue fire covering her wrists.

The man raised his hands, "And you would think the people of this century would be more grateful to the ones who saved them."

The woman just stepped forward, a calm smile on her face, "It's okay, we won't hurt you."

Josie's breathing hasn't calmed yet, but the blue fire has died out of her hands.

"Where am I?" Her throat hurt, and when Josie reached her neck, she felt a bandage instead of the bite.

"It's in our apartment." The man began, "We found you in the middle of the night, you were injured, and passed out from exhaustion."

"My name is Davina. And this is my husband, Kol."

"I'm Josie," Josie approached sheepishly, "A witch and a vampire." She murmured, "How curious."

Davina gave her a smile that soothed her, "Destiny is a strange thing, isn't it?"

~ • ~

The three of them were in the kitchen, the couple sitting across from the brunette, who was finally eating after hours on the run. Kai was leaning against the counter, but Josie didn't dare sneak a glance at the warlock.

Kol tapped his fingers on the table, "Shouldn't you be in Chicago,darling?."

Josie tensed, and noticed that she was missing the jacket, leaving her birthmark and rune on display. She looked up at them both.

"Yes."

"And I can guess your family isn't aware of your whereabouts." Davina said.

"Yes."

"Looks like you had a good reason to run away,little girl." Kol pointed to the faded rune on her arm.

Josie glanced at Malachai, who just shrugged, giving the girl freedom to say whatever she wanted.

"Among others." She took a sip of the juice.

"Look, we can help you if you want."

Josie was surprised, "How?"

Davina tried to reach for the girl's hand, but Josie jerked violently away, the silverware falling on the table. The girl seemed to regret her behavior, but Kol and Davina did not miss the passing glint of fear in Josie, as if afraid of a simple touch.

Davina linked her hand with her husband's, "Me and Kol are here to solve a problem with the local witches, but we live in New Orleans."

Josie blinked, New Orleans, far away from Chicago.

"There's a school there for the supernatural. But we won't make you enroll against tour will." Kol ran a hand through his brown hair.

"We just want you to go with us." Davina expressed as she nervously toyed with a silver ring on the ring finger.

Josie considered the situation, arms in front of her torso as if trying to protect herself from something, hope perhaps. "I-I don't understand ... w-why?"

Davina sighed, "Let's say I know from self experience what it's like to be part of a morbid ritual in a coven."

_The Merge._ Josie's hand landed on the birthmark.

Her breathing started to

get out of control. She stood up abruptly.

"If you'll excuse me," she cleared her throat, "I'm feeling exhausted, I better get back to bed."

The vampire and the witch just watched the brunette escape to the bedroom.

Kol turned to his wife, "Did you see the look on her face?"

"Yes ..." Davina shook her husband's hand and let out a breath, "I wonder what kind of thing she had to go through to have such a haunted look."

"I just hope we can help her." The original frowned, "I have a strange feeling of protection for this girl."

"Me too. But it must be because we have so much in common."

"I think you mean traumas in common,love."

~ • ~

> **_Play Waves,by Dean Lewis,piano version._ **

When she closed the bedroom door, Josie's eyes landed on the window. She cast a silencing spell on the room and opened the it, sitting on the edge.

The rain was beating down on her, they were on the third and top floor. Josie reached out and concentrated, air flows shifting direction.

Soon after, she jumped. Gliding with the help of elemental magic, her feet touched the wet asphalt of the alley beside the building. The amulet glowed faintly in the darkness.

Then Josie ran.

Ran until the worn-out soles of the _adidas_ stained by pencil drawings made her feet burn.

The thin drizzle dampened Josie's crown of brown hair. Suddenly she stopped, panting with her hands on her knees. Her head lifted slowly, her eyes clouded with the salty tears caressing her face.

_A bridge._

Flashes of memories flooded the mind.

**The ritual.**

**The girls impaled by the horns** **.**

Josie's feet automatically carried her to the bridge wall. Her fingertips gripped the cement, first her right leg lifted, then her left.

**A shiny knife sliding through flesh until Josie could see the bone.**

She was sitting now, the tennis laces swinging against the darkness of the river below.

**Blood dripping on the altar.**

The tears wouldn't stop. _Why don't they stop?_

**The voices chanting.**

The memories wouldn't stop.Josie's fingers gripped the rough cement.

**Conrad.**

Josie tried to take a deep breath to calm down, but it was of no use, she just ended up choking.Her throat seemed to have shrink to the size of a straw.

She remembered Conrad with his right hand raised in the air, blood to his forearm as he hung Josie.

Can't breathe.

Her brown eyes opened, her pupils dilated. The rain thickened and lightning cut the sky, momentarily illuminating the trees and the dark water below Josie.

The sensation of canines piercing the skin of the neck.

Thunder rumbled startling the girl. Her left hand slipped off the wall.

Josie felt Malachai's presence.

"Are you going to jump?"

He didn't get wet by the rain.

The light from the single lamppost illuminated the right side of Josie's face. Raindrops rested on her long lashes.

"I don't know how to swim." The answer came out choked.

She tilted her upper body to look at the darkness of the waters. Her heart was pounding loudly in the silence of the night, little by little Josie's panic subsided.

"Why did you panic?" Kai's voice was almost a whisper.

"Denial." Josie whispered.

"Pardon?"

Josie took a deep breath, her brows knit together in concentration.

"The human mind has a primitive self-defense mechanism that negates any reality too much stressful for the brain." She struggled to begin the sentence, her chest rising and falling erratically, "That's what we call denial."

The brunette gradually calmed down, the scientific explanation seemed to give her a false illusion that hysteria was passing.

Josie cleared her throat, "Now that this defense mechanism is no longer effective, the recognitionf what happened to me in those frantic 48 hours has finally stricken."

Kai watched closely.

"First, I saw three girls being _sacrificed_ " her voice broke, "And I couldn't do anything. I had to run away from home because my own coven tried to kill me." A sob escaped her lips.

"My best friend's father tried to hang me."

Malachai held out his hand, but Josie jerked away almost violently. The man did not attempt another approach for fear of upsetting his niece.

"And again, I almost died on a deserted street at the hands of vampires." She ran a hand through her soaked hair. "And the things I did to them ..."

Again the memories came like a wave, trying to drown her. One vampire burning, and the other two choking on their blood, agonizing with pain.

"And what's worse is," the hoarseness of the voice got worse, "A part of me didn't mind doing that. Didn't mind ripping their hearts out, didn't care about the screams of agony." She stopped to catch her breath.

"And that scares me the most." For the first time, Josie turned to meet Kai's gaze. "Because a part of me loved the sick feeling of euphoria at the time, loved being in control, having power."

Josie stood slowly, standing on the edge of the bridge.

"Want to know why this scares me so much?" She didn't let the siphon respond, "My whole life they compared me to you."

Kai almost flinched.

"They nnonstop accused me that I was a copy of you, a sociopath disguised as a girl who loved music." Josie shook her head, a mocking laugh escaped her throat. "Do you imagine what impact this has on a nine year old?"

Kai swallowed hard.

"It's traumatizing. And that scares me, because what I did to those vampires was exactly what they spent so long accusing me, of being someone who delights in the pain of others."

"What I am most afraid of is becoming like you."

Josie released her hands from the wall, the wind was blowing. Kai watched something change in her niece's brown orbs. Slowly, all the brunette's feelings, all the pain, agony, and despair were slowly fading. Until her breathing became rhythmic again until all that was left was a void.

The siphon shuddered, knew right away what Josie was doing. In her mind, the brunette would place the whirlwind of feelings in a box, and bury it in the deepest, deepest abyss so that it would never leave.

Before long, the sparkle in her eyes was swallowed until there was nothing left but a void.

Kai used to do this as a teenager, but he dared not to vocalize that thought.

_Denial_ , the warlock remembered.

"Josie?" The name came out of his mouth no louder than a whisper.

A bolt of lightning cut through the dark sky, the light momentarily illuminating the brunette's face, whose gaze was lost to the river below the bridge.

The siphon only answered a few seconds later, when the thunder rang as if to wake her from a trance.

The rain didn't stop.

"Yes?"

The man swallowed, "Don't jump."

The hand slowly released the wet wall.

Kai tried to take a step, but Josie's shoulders tensed.

_I can't swim_ , the phrase went absently through her mind.

Kai tried again, "Davina must be worried."

A moment passed. She glanced at Mickey Mouse watch on her wrist.

"Okay."

Carefully the girl jumped the wall. Kai began to guide her to the loft. The rest of the jjourney the brunette had the same lost look.

This time they entered through the front door.

Kol and Davina were sitting on the couch and when Josie was spotted,they practically jumped towards her. Davina reached out to touch the brunette, but Josie flinched, a flash of fear crossing her eyes for a second before disappearing.

The woman didn't try again.

"We thought you had run away." Davina's voice was soft with a hint of concern.

Josie didn't take her eyes off the drawn adidas that were wetting the living room carpet.

"Sorry, I just ..." The words stuck in her throat. "Just needed to get some air." The shoulders shrugged.

"Alright, you scared us, little witch." Kol's voice was strangely affectionate. "It's late. Best to go take a shower before you catch a cold."

Josie walked to the bedroom door, hesitated for a second before turning to the couple. The brunette nibbled on her upper lip and fiddled with the leather strap on her wrist.

"I ... I want to go with you," Josie hated the vulnerability of her voice, "To New Orleans."

The huge smiles of Kol and Davina made a small one appear on her face.

~ • ~

Each time they approached south, Josie felt weird,a feling that left her breathing shallow, and her mind on alert, adrenaline made her heart beat so hard that it became all she could hear. 

But the brunette didn't want to think about it now, didn't want to find out what it really was. So she was just fooling herself, saying it was just anxiety about the fact that she didn't know what to expect in New Orleans.

~ • ~

The trip was ... chaotic. That's the best adjective possible.

Amidst laughter and beautiful scenery, Josie found herself getting used to their presence, and soon alsp found herself singing—screaming—radio songs with Kol, and smiling shyly at Davina's polaroid camera. Josie decided to leave Kai's horcrux in her backpack, wanting to have at least one normal day.

Gradually, she was learning to trust them. But that didn't stop her from glancing behind her shoulders, as if expecting an attack. The couple seemed to notice, but decided not to comment.

In the middle of the trip, Kol stopped in the side of the road on a hill. Josie got out of the car and ran to the edge, the place was high enough to have a nice view of the surrounding area and the Mississippi River. The first thing she did was wonder what Lizzie's reaction would be to seeing this place, and ended up biting her lower lip in melancholy.

Josie grinned and turned to the couple leaning against the hood of the car.

Kol took off his shades to watch the setting sun, "Looks like you like high places, little witch."

Josie let out a little laugh as she tried to tame her windblown hair, "I love high places." She got close to them and did something that surprised them, a hug.

As she walked away, Josie saw an almost thrilled look at Davina.

"What's it?"

The older witch gave her a smile, "It's just ... we realize you don't like physical contact very much. I'm glad you're comfortable enough with us."

Josie's eyebrows drew together, "Oh ... It's just ... The people in my coven didn't like to touch me," She shrugged trying to get rid of the memories, didn't fully tell the truth, choosing to omit the darkest and traumatic parts. "They didn't like it when I was too close either." She held up her hands, "Being a siphon and all."

Kol gave her a smile and then ruffled her brown streaks, "We're not like them, and we'll help you with anything you need, darling."

~ • ~

New Orleans was wonderful. Josie leaned out of the car window as she watched the beautiful scenery of Saint Louis Cathedral and its beautiful lights at night. From time to time her brown eyes met Kol's in the rearview mirror and the vampire smiled at the siphon's joy.

The two lived in an apartment near Jackson Square in the French Quarter.

"It's so ... splendid!" Josie announced, the city lights reflected in her almond eyes.

Davina turned in her seat to give her a smile, "Just wait till I take you to my favorite places tomorrow!"

"You'll love the local food." Kol applied the parking brake when they arrived at the apartment.

The elevator up to the third and top floor, the apartment was large but cozy. Clearly Davina's personality in it, Josie saw the shelves full of herbs and spellbooks.

Davina opened the door to the guest room, it was simple with a single bed, a nightstand and a wardrobe. It was large, but still almost half the size of her room in the Chicago mansion.

Josiah grabbed the straps of her backpack with her few belongings, and sat on the comfortable mattress, the older witch watching propped against the door.

"I have something to tell you and Kol." She looked reluctantly up at the woman, "Is it okay if we talk later?"

Davina gave her a small smile, "Yeah. But we better get ready first, take a shower. Let's order something to eat, any preferences?"

When the siphon denied it, the woman closed the bedroom door. Josie left her backpack on the bed and headed for the window, admiring the view. She wondered how long that luck would last, and if she would need a new rune.

That strange feeling slowly came back, like a voice speaking in an unknown language in the back of her mind.

~ • ~

Finally satisfied with the Chinese food, the three of them were in the living room. Josie was sitting between them on the cozy sofa, her backpack at her feet

.

With a resigned sigh, she took Kai's locket and ggrimoire out of her backpack.

"My name is Josette Adena Parker II, but I'd rather be called Josie. My uncle is Malachai Parker, and this is his grimoire." The witch opened on the first page, showing her uncle's handwriting.

"But the most important thing is that." She lifted the necklace.

" _Always The Same._ " Kol translated the ingrown words from French.

"I can feel the magic ..." Davina whispered.

"As you noticed, I'm a siphon, the last of my kind. I found these objects a few nights ago, and was surprised."

Josie took a hand from Kol and Davina, intertwining them with hers, then running the necklace chain around her wrists. At the same moment, the couple stared wide-eyed at the armchair across the room, where Kai was sprawled while chewing a gum, annoyingly.

"Hi!" He waved his fingers, malice in his eyes. "Kai Parker, sociopath on duty and uncle in my spare time.

After a long time explaining Kai's prowess in putting his essence into an amulet and creating a horcrux prototype, Davina and Kol became accustomed to the presence of the 'ghost'.

"There's something else I want to tell you ..."

The vampire squeezed the girl's shoulder affectionately, "As long as you're okay with it."

"The Merge wasn't the only reason I fled Chicago. I was forced, because I saw something I shouldn't have." Josie sighed, her hand began to tremble slightly. "But I don't know if I can count on words, so I think it's better to show."

She opened the grimoire into a page full of drawings and pulled the _Stele_ out of her pocket, "There's a rune that allows me to show specific memories to other supernatural beings."

She began to draw the rune on her left palm while the two watched curiously the process.

"Doesn't hurt?" Davina questioned.

Josie shrugged, still focused on the drawing, now repeating the process in her right palm. "It's a matter of practice and custom."

When she was done, she held out her hands to the couple, who grabbed them promptly.

And then the memories flooded her mind, passing through a channel until it reached the vampire and the witch. Josie showed the Conrad's ritual, how he tried to kill her along with other witches, how she ran through the woods and jumped in the truck, the whole trip to Greenville and being attacked by the vampires, until the moment they found her laying in the street.

When it was over, Kol looked close to killing someone, Davina's jaw clenched.

"May the gods make our paths cross so that I can tear every organ out of that bastard's mouth." He began to pace the room in exasperation.

Davina ran a hand through her hair, "That ritual he did, I've never seen anything like it before."

"He was speaking Old Norse, I'm familiar, but very little." The vampire knelt in front of Josie, "I promise you, Josie, I won't let him get close to you."

Josie's eyes filled with tears, Davina put her arm around her shoulders, "And we didn't break our promises."

Josie grabbed Kol's hands, "Thank you." And then she blinked a few times and gripped his hands tighter, feeling the vampire's magic, "Wow...You're old."

Laughter echoed through the room.

"What did you expect from an original vampire,darling?" He said with a rogue smile.

Josie opened her eyes, "You're a Mikaelson?"

"Don't worry Josie." Davina announced, "From now on, you're under the tutelage of a Mikaelson vampire and a Claire witch ."

~ • ~

After a few days, they fell into a routine. In the morning, Josie would go to the kitchen to enjoy Davina's pancakes.On the afternoon,Kol would show her the city,but for now it was better not to go out into the magical community, just in case. Davina didn't consider herself part of the covens anymore, but she wanted to make sure no one had strong connections with the Gemini Coven.

The brunette was eating breakfast prepared by the older witch when Kol walked into the kitchen, kissed his wife fondly and ruffled Josie's locks.

"I have great news!"

Davina leaned against the counter, "Oh yeah?"

The vampire smiled excitedly, "In four days there will be a big mask festival at the French Quarter! I think it's time for our dear Josie to get to know the neighborhood."

Josie's brown eyes practically twinkled, "Really?"

"I think it's a great idea," Davina began, "But we have to take some precautionary measures first. Starting with your name." She pointed at Josie.

"My dear wife is right, we cannot introduce you as Josie Parker, it will be like cutting your own throat."

"How about using my father's last name? Josie Saltzman."

Kol made a sound of denial, "Bad idea, your father was kind of famous in the supernatural world."

Josie saddened a little, but didn't let it show,she knew almost nothing about her father, and had only seen his picture once when she searched her mother's room with Lizzie when twelve.

"Using the name Mikaelson is also out of the question."

"How about using mine?" Davina came up with the idea, "We can say you're a distant relative who lost her family, and now I'm your new guardian."

Josie snapped her tongue in the roof of her mouth, "Josette Adena Claire, Josie Claire." Tested the name. "Do you think they will believe it?"

"As long as you cover your marks, and no one finds out it's a siphon, I think everything will be fine."

~ • ~

It was nearly eleven at night, and Josie was alone in the apartment. Kol and Davina were at a dinner party with the vampire's family, discussing Josie's joining Mikaelson Institute after their two weeks break.

Josie descended the stairs of the building, the black bag in her hands. The air was cold outside, and after putting the trash in the right place a noise of metal falling on the ground broke the silence of the street. It came from the alley next to the building .

Kai sighed beside her, "Why does this kind of things only happen to you?"

The witch shrugged, picked up a broken baseball bat from the floor, and headed toward the noise.

"Forgot that you're a witch?" The siphon screamed, but his niece ignored him.

Illumination was poor, but she could still see a figure leaning against the brick wall, one arm tightly gripping her abdomen. As she drew closer, Josie could hear grunts of pain, and then bright yellow eyes met hers.

"Werewolf," she muttered.

She dropped the baseball bat to the floor, and approached the figure. A girl, who seemed about to faint. She looked down at the abdomen, and a sigh left her lips when she saw the amount of blood staining the clothes.

"Oh gods ..." She was almost touching the girl when a growl was heard, but Josie didn't dare to cringe, "I-I just want to help."

The journey to the apartment was stressful, and Josie was never so grateful for the elevator.

With a lot of effort and grunts to spare, Josie laid the redhead on her bed. Somewhere, far on her mind,came the fleeting memory of auburn hair dancing with the wind and sunset.

In a moment of adrenaline, the siphon ripped open the stained shirt to reveal a bloody abdomen with several punctures.

_Bullet holes._

Josie counted nine.

_Shit_

She ran to the bathroom attached to her room, grabbed tweezers, alcohol, and gauze. When she returned to bed, the girl seemed about to pass out.

"This will hurt," Josie announced, "What's your name?"

"H-Hope."

"Nice to meet you, Hope. My name is Josie, and I'm the girl who will save your live."

The brunette threw alcohol into her belly, and Hope grabbed the mattress as she growled, her eyes momentarily turning yellow.

Josie scowled, "Please don't bite me!" Her voice came out thinner than she'd like to admit.

Se picked up the tweezers and pulled out the first bullet, not what she expected.

The projectile was made of wood, with a hole in the middle of which a strong-smelling liquid came out. Josie recognized the essence right away, already familiar with the herbs in her potions lessons with Lizzie. It was clearly a mixture of vervein and wolfsbane.

Realization hit Josie in the face like a train.

_Hybrid_

She resisted the urge to grimace and whimper, _'Why does this always happen to me?'_.She ignored the blood staining the sheets on the bed, _'Davina will be so mad'_ , and continued the work.

The stressful task didn't take long, and when the brunette was finished she ran into Kol's blood supply, _'that would surely help Hope,'_ she thought.

"Come on, your stubborn hybrid, take a bloody sip!"

But it was no use, for Hope always turned her face with a frown.

_Okay, it's not a hybrid then. Maybe a different kind of werewolf?_

The siphon opened the grimoire, being careful not to smear the pages with blood. Getting mentally crucified for not paying attention to the lessons of healing spells.For a short while she considered drawing a healing rune on her palms, but the thought was soon torn by the image of a Kol staring at her with concern and saying that she would have to hide the runes from everyone.

"What kind of witch doesn't know a healing spell?" Josie heard the girl swear from above the bed, her voice was hoarse and she clearly spoke with difficulty.

Josie pursed her lips, "I don't think you're in a place to complain now,wolf girl." She said,annoyed.

The siphon went back to bed, wondering if she should even cast a spell to reduce the girl's pain, then surrendered with a sigh and a roll of her eyes.

" _Asinta Mulaf Hinto, Sho Bala. Asinta Mulaf Hinto, Sho Bala._ "

Hope made a noise of gratitude — which sounded more like a strange mix of a grunt and moan — breathing better now that she felt less pain, but the cuts were still open. Hope's vibrant blue eyes were glued to the necklace that glowed faintly on the brunette's bust.

Josie hesitantly placed her hands on Hope's defined abdomen, and their eyes met. The siphon held her gaze until she felt her cheeks burn, and refocused on the spell. That annoying buzz in the back of her mind grew louder, Josie bit the inside of her cheek.

Healing spells were delicate and complicated, distractions were unwelcomed now.

When it was over, her knees buckled in exhaustion, and she sat on the floor, her head resting on the soft mattress. Josie breathed deeply, Hope's hand lifted a dark lock that rested on her cheek and placed it behind her ear,the wolf girl seemed about to faint too.

"Thank you." Josie heard the husky voice say and her eyelids fluttered shut.

~ • ~

Surprisingly, Josie woke up without body aches, but soon realized that she was in her bed.

With clean sheets.

No blood.

She sat up suddenly, and her sight spinning for a few seconds. She was almost convinced it was all a dream when she noticed something different.

Something different about her.

In the left hand.

There was something shiny on her ring finger. A silver ring with a peculiar design engraved on it.

The design was of a _triquetra_ , where on each of the three ends was a symbol. At the top end was a fleur de lis, on the right end was the symbol of vampires, and on the left end was a moon. But the most interesting is that in the middle of the _triquetra_ was drawn an 'M' with an elegant lettering.

Inside the ring were three other letters.

_H.A.M_

~ • ~

It was breakfast time, and yet Josie didn't want to take the ring off, and she mentally convinced herself that it was because it seemed too valuable to not to be careful.

They were all at the breakfast table, cutlery clinking with each other, Josie still holding her left hand in her lap, out of sight.

That was when she realized.

The ring on Davina's left hand was of shiny silver, and when the older witch reached for more pancakes, Josie saw the elegantly spelled 'M' engraved on the band.

Mikaelson

Hope Mikaelson

The ring symbols burned in her mind. A crescent moon, a fleur-de-lis,and the mark of vampires.

Tribrid

Josie sighed and massaged her temples,practically could feel a headache on the way.

~ • ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: About the bridge part, Josie has a very strong morbid curiosity about death, and moments like that serve to soothe and ground her when having an panick attack (high places help too). This is a purposeful trait that I put into her personality , and will be explained in the next chapters.
> 
> Sorry for the long delay, but I have radically changed Hope and Josie's first encounter. The first one was going to be at the mask festival,but I'm making it seconf
> 
> Thoughts? Theories? Hope and Josie having weird dreams ?? Is Josie afraid when strangers touch her?
> 
> Tell me what you think and what you expect for the next chapter!


	7. Of White Masks and Birthdays

Of White Masks And Birthdays

Hope Mikaelson walked into the family dining room with confident steps, attracting attention with her bloody clothes and tangled hair.

"You're late," Klaus commented, he was certainly not known for his delicacy.

Hayley got up and went toward her daughter, "What happened?"

Hope sighed, "I found some hunters on the way. But don't worry, they are no longer a problem."

"Were you badly injured?" Davina asked, she was sitting next to her husband.

The redhead's eyes twinkled, "By the way ..." She moved closer to lean on the table next to Kol, "Who's that girl living in your apartment?"

Kol dropped the cutlery, "How do you know about Josie?" His tone was accusing and his eyes narrowed.

"Oh, Josie ..." She tested the name on her lips, "My little witch has a beautiful name, doesn't she?" And then she raised the bloody shirt a little to show her almost fully healed abdomen. "She's a great nurse too."

Davina gripped the angry vampire's arm. "How did you meet her?"

"It turns out the hunters did some damage, and your apartment was closer. I thought you were still there. Not that I'm complaining, I found something even better."

Klaus grinned at her daughter's speech, she sure knew how to piss off Kol. Freya and Rebekah exchanged conspiratorial glances.

Elijah wiped his mouth with a napkin, "Just in time, niece. We were talking about your witch enrolling on the Institute."

"She's nothing Hope's." Kol growled, "Besides, Josie hasn't decided on joining the Institute yet."

Hope smirked, and sat down next to her mother. "If you want, I can help to convince her. I was told that I am very persuasive." She rested her chin on the hand, a smile that seemed sweet at first, but everyone knew the Mikaelson to know what it meant.

"Josie is off-limits, Hope. I know you well enough."

"Why, dear uncle, however, I find myself quite bewitched by my dear witch, and I will not surrender easily." She showed a sharp smile.

_ Like father, like daughter. _

Josie flipped through the pages of the grimoire, sitting on the bed with her  _ walkman's _ headphones, playing her favorite mixtape. She occasionally moved her head at the sound of  _ Flourescent Adolescent _ , Arctic Monkeys, and her fingertips drummed to the beat of the music.

Kai sighed exaggeratedly, “How  _ boring! _ ” He dragged the last syllable out of the word unnecessarily.

Josie ignored him.  _ Again. _

"I already know!" He announced and grasped the grimoire in the witch's lap, which she complained with an indignant cry. Kai flipped the pages hastily, "Bingo." He slammed the book down hard, opened on a page with a strange language and drawings.

Josie climbed off the bed, tossing the headphones aside, and sat next to the man, "What's up, Kai?"

"I found something nice for us to do."

"You mean  _ me _ , forgot you're not of much help?"

He put his hand on his chest, falsely offender, "You hurt my feelings, dear niece."

"Do you have feelings?" Josie pricked. The siphon man flicked her forehead.

"Okay, I'm done!" She rubbed the place where it hurts, "What do you have there?"

Malachai pointed to the book, Josie approached.

"  _ Summoning _ ... Do you want to summon something?"

Kai gave her a look, "And you not?"

"But of course I want to!" Josie started reading the pages. "That sounds like another kind of magic ..."

"And it's another type. Satanic, to be precise."

"Really? I've heard very little about such witches."

"They usually reside in another part of the country, near the Canadian border, in the states of Maine and New York."

"All I know is that they enhance their power in a ritual at sixteen."

Kai bit the tip of his thumb, "A whole process of selling the soul to the Dark Lord, blah blah blah. The thing is, they have great rituals."

Josie read the instructions again, "Summoning a  _ Familiar. _ Looks like it's basically a demon pet."

"Cool, right?"

It took a while, but the two drew a pentagram with runes on each of the five sectors, four for the elements, and the last for the soul. Josie placed candles throughout the room and lit them with a snap of fingers.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to use the Nordic runes?"

Kai just shrugged.

The spell was in Latin, something Josie was familiar with. With the Grimoire in her left hand and her right palm extended to the pentagram, the witch began to chant. As the words came out of her mouth, the pentagram in the circle with the runes began to glow incandescent. The necklace on the brunette's bust became warm against her skin, and a faint violet light came from the stone. Josie felt the magic coming out of the charm and going straight to her body, the sensation was wonderful.

"  _ I send you protective. I enliven unius dimensionsis ipsarum to distracting tenebris. Ascend worlds, familiar. Request illorum tutelage. _ " Josie picked up the small golden bell, and swung it seven times.

"  _ I send you protective. I enliven unius dimensionsis ipsarum to distracting tenebris. Ascend worlds, familiar. Request illorum tutelage. _ " The witch swung the bell another seven times.

A gust of wind blew through the room, blowing out the lighted candles. They both looked at the window, it was closed. The pentagram stopped shining.

The siphon teen looked confused at the grimoire, "Did we miss something?"

"Uh ... Josie?" Kai stammered.

She didn't take her eyes off the pages, "I'm sure my pronunciation was flawless ..."

"Josie?"

"Not now, Kai. I want to find out why I failed and-" She looked at the pentagram. "  _ Oh _ "

"Yeah,  _ oh _ ." The wizard muttered.

Inside the pentagram was a pile of fur that began to move slowly. The animal stretched, it was small and looked like-

"A cat?" Josie asked and approached slowly. Soon he noticed that it was  _ definitely _ not an ordinary kitten. Between the two ears was a strange  [ symbol, ](https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=pt-BR&prev=_t&sl=pt-BR&tl=en&u=https://br.pinterest.com/pin/443112050836035471/) like a spiral with half straight lines. His eyes were sharp, and a little red. When he hissed, bigger fangs than the normal were shown. The cat stretched and-

Josie's eyes widened, "Are those wings?"

"Apparently..."

He looked like a  [ _ Maine coon _ ](https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=pt-BR&prev=_t&sl=pt-BR&tl=en&u=https://br.pinterest.com/pin/322148179593273695/) cat, his  [ _ fur _ ](https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=pt-BR&prev=_t&sl=pt-BR&tl=en&u=https://br.pinterest.com/pin/322148179593273695/) brown, white and a little black. Very cute, by the way. The witch approached slowly and petted the animal.

"Own, you're very cute, aren't you?" She picked him up.

Kai approached, but the demon cat growled, sharp fangs out.

The brunette let out a little laugh, "I like you." The cat's tail curled around the witch's forearm.

"Are you going to name it?"

Josie shrugged, and looked at the book on the nightstand, * Pet Sematary *, Stephen King. "How about Church?"

Kai scowled, "Like the undead cat in the book?"

"I'll think of other names then... How about Asmund? It means protector, which is basically what a  _ familiar _ provides."

The noise of a door banging, and then ..

"Josie! We're here!"

Kol and Davina

_ Oh no _

The bedroom door opened and they entered.

"It's time- What the hell is this?" The vampire exclaimed.

The cat hissed, its fangs bared, its wings spread, and Josie flinched as she tried to hold it back. Davina let out a scream that only startled the  _ familiar _ further, he slipped out of the siphon's arms and ran to the nightstand, soon after jumping against the window, shattering the glass in the process and running across the rooftops of the French Quarter.

With the window now broken, the sound of music and lively voices in the street entered the room.  _ The Mask Festival. _

"I think I screwed up ..."

"You think?" Davina's voice was high.

Josie made a wretched face, "In my defense," she pointed to Kai, even though she knew they couldn't see him. "He who induced me into such behavior!"

Malachai rolled his eyes, "Yeah, blame it on the ghost uncle."

Kol sighed, "What was that?"

"A  _ familiar, _ I called upon him."

Davina analyzed the room, "Is this black magic?" She pointed to the pentagram. Josie nodded.

Kol approached the broken window, "I think we have a demon cat on the streets of New Orleans." And then he laughed, "Who would imagine that being your guardian would be so interesting."

Josie had the decency to blush, embarrassed.

Davina took something from the bag she was carrying and handed it to Josie, "Here, you'll need it if you want to get out on the streets."

It was a delicate  [ white Venetian mask ](https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=pt-BR&prev=_t&sl=pt-BR&tl=en&u=https://br.pinterest.com/pin/151292868719769474/) with spiral lace patterns. Josie's full lips formed a smile.

While analyzing the mask, Kol approached in quick strides and grabbed Josie's left hand.

"Where did you get that ring, little witch?"

Josie turned to the original vampire with wide eyes, "I think I saved your niece's life ..."

"Was Hope really here?" Davina asked.

"A few nights ago. But this is no time to talk," she tried to divert the subject. Josie picked up the  _ Stele _ from the bed, and drew a lucky rune on her forearm, "We have a demon out there to find."

It didn't take long for Josie to discover that she had no affinity for crowds. She walked the crowded streets of the Quarter, music ringing in her ears, along with talk and laughter. From where she looked, her eyes caught the colors of the decorations on the streets and establishments, every face was covered by masks.

The three decided to separate, and Josie was warned not to get too far from the square near the apartment. People danced in the streets, and occasionally the brunette bumped into someone. Josie was wearing a small jacket over the yellow dress she had worn. he was dressed to hide the rune and the birthmark. The crowd was not doing her good, she could already feel discomfort and shortness of breath on the way.

She tried to pass among the dancing couples in the middle of the street, but stumbled. Two firm hands gripped her biceps, and her front met someone's.

The first thing she noticed was mazarine blue eyes and reddish-brown hair. She tried to move away from the female body, but she didn't go too far away, the hands that had once been on her arms slipped to her waist.

"If it's not the witch who saved my life." The hoarse voice announced in her ear.

"H-Hope?" Even with the black-and-gold mask she wore, Josie recognized the features. The dream she had nights ago came to mind. She nearly stumbled when the realization came that she had dreamed of the redhead without even meeting her before.

"Splendid to meet you again, Josie. Even more in my arms."

Josie opened her mouth to speak, but was abruptly interrupted by the redhead, who spun them both to the dance floor as they were about to bump into another pair. Josie's yellow dress swayed with the movement.

The brunette stepped back, but Hope didn't leave much space between them. Resigned, Josie pulled the hybrid out of the dance circle. She tried to remove the silver ring from her finger, but Hope stopped her.

"Don't even think about it, sweetheart." She pushed the band back, "Never take it off, you don't know how much it means,"

"So tell me."

"Protection." She moved closer, suddenly Josie could no longer hear the music, nor did she notice the people around her. "Anyone who sees this ring in your beautiful hand will not dare touch a finger to your beautiful form."

Josie's cheeks warmed, and she couldn't tell if it was from anger or shyness. "You don't understand, Mikaelson. Using this won't help protect me-" A brown figure passed the corner of her eyes, _ Asmund. _ He hopped over the decorated balconies following the street.

Josie darted in the same direction as him. Hope tried to grab her wrist, but Josie easily swerved. The brunette could hear Hope's calls being swallowed by the crowd. As discreetly as possible, she unzipped her sleeve and pulled the  _ Stele off. _ from there, she had difficulty remembering the rune she wanted while bumping into people, then she finally remembered that it looked like a P with two other strokes in the opposite direction to the vertical line. She drew as carefully and skillfully as possible, the color of coal lines against the skin.

The effect was immediate, Josie managed to run faster and deflect more skillfully.

"Kol!" The witch screamed, knowing the vampire would listen from wherever he was, "Kol!"

She stopped in an alley farther from the crowded street. Kol came with Davina in a  _ zoom. _ The three entered the alley, soon noticing Asmund crouching, fangs stuck in something unknown.

"Is that a dog?" Said an incredulous Davina.

"I can't believe you summoned a vampire cat."

Josie scowled at Kol's comment, "Demon Cat."

As they approached the cat hissed, its long fur bloodstained.

"Bad boy, Asmund!"

Davina turned to Josie, "Not a bad name."

"Now is not the time to discuss this." Kol got in.

"Leave it to me." Josie paused ahead and pulled something out of her jacket pocket, a cat toy. She shook the object and a little bell rang.

It worked, the  _ familiar _ ran into Josie's arms, paws reaching for the toy. The witch wiped the blood off the animal's chin.

"Huh," Kol muttered.

"Catnip." Said the siphon with a victorious smile, then pouted. "Can we stay with him?"

The couple looked at each other, "If he doesn't end up killing someone, I don't see why not."

Davina sighed and shrugged, "I always wanted to have a demon cat anyway."

Josie woke up earlier than usual that morning. Her guardians were still sleeping when a sleepy Josie came into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and grabbed one of the animal's blood bags before placing it in the microwave for a few seconds. After warmed, she poured the blood into Asmund's bowl, which purred as the brunette petted behind his ears.

She went to the counter to make coffee in the machine when her eyes fell on the calendar on the cabinet. Josie suddenly lost her sleepiness.

She took a sip of the hot liquid and left the kitchen whistling the tune of  _ 'Happy Birthday to You.' _

Somehow — don't ask her how — the couple found out it was Josie's birthday, and they decided to go out to celebrate with dinner.

Before, however, they did something that thrilled the witch.

Kol took the package from behind the couch and handed it to the brunette, who tore the package under their expectant gaze. The brunette's eyes filled with tears.

It was a  [ violin, ](https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=pt-BR&prev=_t&sl=pt-BR&tl=en&u=https://br.pinterest.com/pin/470907704786372895/) a rose-colored vintage with delicate designs, the most beautiful she had ever seen.

"How did you know?" She asked in a tearful voice.

"You commented a few times that your favorite thing was to play while living in Chicago." Said Davina.

"And I caught you staring at hit every time we walked through the Quarter music store window," Kol spoke with a smile on his face.

"Thank you." She ran to hug them tightly, almost tripping over the process.

"No problem, little witch."

The siphon girl again escaped through the bedroom window, this time with one goal in mind. Before leaving, she opened the grimoire, and drew the most complicated rune she had ever tried, taking a while as she had to stop several times to compose herself. The rune was a [Norse compass](https://br.pinterest.com/pin/489203578272346518/) that would guide you wherever you wanted.

As she was about to leap from the window, Asmund just gave her a look Josie could swear was a mocking one, and licked his paw again.

Josie also made a camouflage spell so she could walk the streets unnoticed. The path was long, but not tiring thanks to the rune of energy, but the agility one was slowly fading. Finally she arrived at the entrance of the forest near the bayou.

Kai appeared beside her, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Josie waved before entering the forest, the enchanted stone that produced light floated in front, the brunette had her right forearm extended, tingling slightly and giving her directions to where Josie wanted to reach, in her mind, she knew she was heading toward she wanted to get.

Josie knew she should have thought a stone altar in the woods a strange thing, but New Orleans was a city overflowing with the supernatural.

"Be careful, we're near the bayou."

The leaves made a crunched noise as they were crushed by the siphon's sneakers, and she looked out over the small patch of night sky, surrounded by the treetops.

"It's a crescent moon, Kai." She nearly tripped over a root, but her uncle grabbed her arm. "Thanks."

Josie placed the backpack on the stone altar and pulled out what she needed. She appreciated that at the beginning of her escape from Chicago, she cast a spell of expansion into the backpack, and now she could carry more than usual.

She set the candles on the stone, and made a pentagram of salt and herbs. This time she didn't have to open the grimoire, for she already knew the spell.

"I don't think that what you're going to do is smart, Josette."

"I just want her to know I'm fine, Kai. It's our birthday, I want to feel her for at least a few minutes."

Se picked up the glowing dagger in the candlelight and slid it down her forearm, letting the blood fall into the salt. In the middle of the process, the red liquid trickled down her hand and past the silver ring on the ring finger.

"  _ Nemo unus animabus carnem et sanguinem of this iso duo. Sanquinatum venetus barkael meh. _ "

"  _ Nemo unus animabus carnem et sanguinem of this iso duo. Sanquinatum venetus barkael meh. _ "

Josie inhaled sharply and leaned over the rock for support. The connection was back, as it should be, and Josie finally managed to feel her sister again.

The wave of feelings was intense, worry, sadness, pain, but in the middle of all, happiness.

Josie slid down the rock until she sat in the damp leaves of the forest, her eyes closed and a smile on her face, the blood running down her arm didn't bother her.

It stayed that way for a good half hour, when she finally decided with regret that she had to close the connection again.

Over Kai's watchful eye, Josie stood, put her hands on the pentagram, and repeated the spell.

Nothing happened.

Josie arched an eyebrow, Malachai approached. She tried again, but could still feel Lizzie.

She looked at her uncle, "Shit."

Normally, Josie would be against speaking profanity, but the situation would not allow it that her ideal remained that way. She gathered things in her backpack and scattered the pentagram made of salt.

She ran through the woods back home. The luminous rock floating in front to light the way.

"What are you going to do now?" Kai asked running beside her.

"Davina! I bet she'll be able to help me and-"

Josie suddenly stopped, her posture tense and her breathing ragged. A few feet ahead was a white wolf.

Josie was seriously considering using a lucky rune.

The wolf ducked on its front paws and growled.

"Josie ..." Kai whispered, "I think you better start running."

Run for it, they say.

She ran, cursing that her training sessions with Lizzie had never prepared them for situations like this. The agility rune must have already faded, as Josie tripped over a root.

_ Wonderful _

Josie turned to the wolf, who pinned her to the ground. Yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, but it wasn't growling anymore. Josie stared at the crescent moon.

Crescent moon.

_ Wolves do not turn on crescent moon. _

So...

"H-Hope?" She whispered shakily.

The wolf just stared at her, and then lowered the muzzle until it touched the witch's nose. Josie's breath was ragged. Then the wolf lowered its muzzle down the brunette's neck, over her shoulder to the witch's bloody forearm. Licked the blood and pressed the muzzle one last time to Josie's nose before running into the darkness.

The siphon leaned on her elbows and looked around. Kai wasn't there, and she didn't want his company now.

With a sigh, she rose from the ground, grabbed her backpack, and headed in the direction she felt to be the way out of the forest.

She had a bad feeling.

~ • ~

Something was wrong. More specifically with Josie.

All the way to the apartment, a headache grew to the point that when she opened the bedroom door, she felt a hellish pulsing.

What happened next was a blur. Her knees gave way and hit the floor hard, her hands on her head as if to help lessen the pain. She screamed and the door slammed open.

"Josie!" Davina shouted. The couple ran to the girl.

"I think she's being attacked! Someone is casting a spell on her."

Davina threw up her hands, "I think I can stop the pain, but maybe I can't stop the spell."

"Freya!" The vampire screamed as he held Josie in his arms.

Davina frantically recited the Latin words. Over time, Josie stopped struggling in Kol's arms, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"I-It's not me," she whispered and bit her hand hard to control the pain, "I-I reopened my c-connection with Lizzie ..." She screamed again, her throat hurt.

"They are using your sister to hit you." Davina's eyes widened.

"They want to know where she is," Kol whispered and then grabbed the girl's face, "Listen to me, Josie. I need you to resist, fight! Don't let them get into your mind." Josie nodded weakly and closed her eyes tightly. Her fists clenched, with white knuckles.

"We need to take her to Freya."

When a family member visited, something unexpected could always be expected. Freya, however, did not expect something like her brother and sister-in-law to appear in the middle of the night with a teenage girl obviously agonizing with pain in his arms.

They laid the girl on the couch in the living room. Keelin appeared in the doorway and shot a worried look at her wife, who shook her head, asking her to come back up.

"What's wrong with her?" Asked the blond.

Davina, who had a hand pressed to the girl's forehead, murmuring a spell to lessen the pain. It was Kol who answered her.

"They're trying to get into her mind," He ran a hand through his light brown hair, Freya had never seen him so worried, "They're using the bond she has with her twin sister as a channel. Davina is trying to ease the pain, but can't stop the attack. " They were interrupted by the anguished scream of the brunette, who was thrashing on the couch. Freya cast a spell so that the girl's limbs were stuck on the cushion.

Freya almost cringed, and ran to get everything she needed from the shelves, "Did you say twin sister? I thought her family was dead and Davina was only the next of kin ..." She put all the ingredients and herbs in a kneaded pestle them.

And then the blue eyes of the Mikaelson which landed on the girl's shoulder.

"Kol, please tell me this girl is not who I think she is ..." she growled.

The vampire flinched.

"Kol!" she shouted, "Almost half of the witch population is looking for this girl!" She picked up the mixture and approached the brunette. Freya took a good amount in her fingers, and made two lines on Josie's forehead. The relief was immediate, and the pain eased dramatically.

"Now is not the time to argue about this," Davina stood up, "I feel this won't hold long, any idea how to stop the spell?"

Freya was about to open her mouth when Kol exclaimed. "Kai!"

The blond blinked, "Who?"

The brother ignored her and took something from the brunette's neck, a necklace, and quickly wrapped it around Freya's wrist.

She felt a hand grasp her arm, an unknown man appearing out of nowhere. "We don't have much time, she needs a rune, and at the moment you have the most experience on the subject."

The man - Kai, Freya assumes - pushed her into the abandoned backpack at the entrance of the room, pulling out a grimoire and something the witch had not seen for centuries, a  _ Stele. _

"She's a siphon, and the only thing that will work now is this," he pointed to the open page in the book.

"A [mark of protection](https://br.pinterest.com/pin/AS9kxmnwyw1vxcp2QLkszF6pzruJOYyNi7oruvklVekF1LXHLnSX6Jk/) ..." she whispered, amazed at how it almost looked like a snowflake pattern.

"Exact."

With quick movements, Freya took the  _ Stele _ from the warlock's hand and approached the girl lying on the couch. Now Freya could observe the girl's features, and something hit her hard.  _ She seemed immensely familiar, as if they had met before. _

She shook her head, now was not the time for such thoughts. She concentrated, and looking one last time at the grimoire in Kai's arms, began to draw the rune just below her left collarbone and above her bust. She wrinkled her nose at the scent of slightly burning skin, but was charmed by the dark features that the tip of the red crystal left behind. Around the lines, the skin was slightly red.

When it was finally over, a sigh of relief came from the couple hugging behind her.

Freya turned to them, "You have a lot to explain to me."

A growl drew their attention. Josie grimaced, then ran her fingertips over the herb mixture on her forehead. Her grimace got worse.

Then Josie realized she was in a strange environment, and turned to the three. Her eyes stopped at the blond figure in front of her, and a feeling almost like a  _ deja vu _ passed through her body. Something came to mind.

_ ᚠᚱᛖᛃᚨ _ _ ᛗᛁᚲᚨᛖᛚᛋᛟᚾ _

_ Freya Mikaelson _

Josette didn't understand why she knew who the woman was, or why her name in Old Norse came to mind, much less how she knew the translation. All her mind took in was the massive headache she was feeling.

"Hi?" Her nose wrinkled cutely, and Freya had to resist the urge to make an ' _ own _ ' sound. "Is this my necklace?"

The girl - Josie, her subconscious reminded her - still looked extremely familiar, Freya tried to remember where she knew her from. She unwrapped the chain from her wrist and handed it to the young one, who put it around her neck.

Josie's expression changed dramatically, "Conrad. He was using Lizzie to find out where I am." Tears filled her eyes, and in a blink of an eye, Kol and Davina were by her side.

"I think I managed to block most of my memories," She took a deep breath. "But he knows I was in Greenville. I didn't let him see anything associated with you guys, but if he has any contact with the Coven Peterson's witches ..." She shook her head.

"Do you think they will say anything?"

Josie looked at Kai, who shrugged, but his eyes were dark with hesitation.

"I have no idea."

Freya Mikaelson leaned against the cold glass of the window, watching the beautiful view of the city, but was lost in thoughts. Her wife hugged her, caressing.

"Busy night, right?"

The blond took a few seconds to respond, clenching her jaw before giving in to the words coming out.

"I've met her before." She murmured.

"Who?"

"Josie ..."

Keelin turned to the witch, facing each other. "Are you sure?"

Freya shrugged, "She reminds me of someone ... Someone I met a long time ago, while still trapped by Dahlia's chains."

Keelin denied, "She's only sixteen, love."

"I know," Freya sighed, "I need to show you something ..." She went to the closet and pulled out a wooden box. They both sat on the bed and the witch muttered a spell to unlock the box. She creaked and the werewolf could see that there were countless little things there. Letters tied by a ribbon, photographs, and underneath it all, a journal with a reddish leather cover.

Freya fanned the thick pages carefully, "This was like my diary, Dahlia never found it. On it, I was writing what my experiences were like when I was awake ..." She stopped a little after the middle. On the yellowed crumpled paper was a drawing of a girl, the features drawn with charcoal. The girl was eerily similar to Josie. Keelin's dark eyes dropped to the date on the corner of the page.

_ September 1746 _

"B-But how?" She ran her hands through the curly hair.

Freya pursed her lips in a thin line, her brows knit together in concentration. "I don't know, but I'm sure I'll find out."

Hope Mikaelson opened the button of her white shirt, adjusting the collar. Beside her, Jennie Carstairs played with the straw of her bewitched milkshake that changed color and flavor every few seconds. The two were sitting at a sidewalk table from an ice cream parlor - owned by a witch family - enjoying the shade and the cool breeze.

The pair of friends had their eyes trained on the door of a magical artifact store across the street. Shortly after, the apothecary's doorbell rang and a brunette came out, backpack on the shoulders and being followed by a  _ Maine Coon _ cat.

Jennie's feline eyes narrowed, "So, is that her?"

Hope gave her a roguish smile, muttering an  _ mhm. _

"You said she's living with your uncle, didn't you? And is that your ring?" Jennie's jaw dropped. "Hope Mikaelson, did you give your ring to a stranger?"

The auburn-haired ignored the girl, with her eyes following the beautiful brunette with the cat on her heels until she turned the corner.

"She's been in this store at least three times a week since she moved here. It is Davina who used to do this. And she's not a complete stranger ..." She turned to her friend expectantly.

Jennie arched an eyebrow, "What do you mean - Oh Gods." She sighed, "She's the girl you've been painting for over a month." She ran a hand through her long dark hair, "By Morgana, Hope, you're a stalker!"

The tribrid blinked, "No, I'm not"

"Oh come on! You even know the girl's routine." She shook her head in denial, "  _ Tsk tsk, _ and they thought you couldn't get more of a freak ." He drank the color-changing milkshake again.

The redhead rolled her blue eyes and stood up, "Don't wait for me,  _ Jennie-Kitty _ ." She started walking toward the end of the street.

The Carstairs raged, "I told you not to call me that! It was an accident!" She grimaced at the memories of the eighth-grade accident when she accidentally turned into a cat in  _ Magic Transfiguration _ class.

The girl Mikaelson just laughed.

Hope roamed the park where she had last seen Josie. The witch seemed to have disappeared like a cloud of smoke. She was walking through the trees when she heard a laugh. The Mikaelson stopped in confusion, looking around with a frown.

Another laugh, and then a voice. "You know, you're a terrible stalker."

Hope looked up. Sitting on the thick branch of a tree was Josie, with a beautiful smile on her lips and the loyal kitten by her side, wiggling his tail.

"You need to improve your methods." Continued.

"Why don't you help me, then?" Hope arched an eyebrow.

"I want you to help me down." She turned to get out of the trunk, and Hope tried - not with all her might - not to look at the girl's thighs that were showing by the length of the red dress she was wearing.

Hope reached for the brunette's waist until she was stepping back to the floor.

"Hope?"

"Yes?"

"Is that your hand on my ass?"

"It was an accident."

"Hope, your hand is still on my ass."

"It's still an accident!"

Josie pushed the redhead by the shoulders, creating a little distance between them. At the foot of the tree, Asmund stared at the redhead in a bad mood. "Why were you following me?"

Hope smiled and her blue eyes twinkled, "Because you're unique, Josie Claire. And that captivates me."

Josie opened and closed her mouth to speak, her cheeks red. But Hope cut her off.

"And because I dreamed about you." She stated casually.

The siphon practically stumbled, "Y-you too?"

She arched her eyebrow, "So it happens to you the same way ..."

Josie shrugged and started walking with the tribrid beside her and Asmund following close by, chasing after a butterfly. Josie hated butterflies. She grabbed the strap of her backpack, "It's been happening for a few weeks since I started going south." and until you get here. "

"So you used to live in the north of the country?" Hope questioned and saw the girl's shoulders tense.

"Something like that." She avoided giving more information, and played the silver ring on the ring finger. Hope hid her the smile with the gesture.

The conversation continued until they reached the apartment, Kol was waiting in the doorway and when he saw that Josie was accompanied he narrowed his eyes and lifted the chin.

"You know," Hope began, "You should go to the Institute just to get to know your surroundings. It can help you with your decision."

The siphon shifted her gaze from the original vampire to the teenager, "I'm still getting used to New Orleans. I think I want to spend a little more time with Davina before I go back to school. But I promise to visit, maybe you can change" my mind."

That made the redhead smile victoriously. Hope tried to take a step closer, but Asmund hissed at her, showing his white fangs.  _ Damned cat, _ he thought.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Kol smirking.

Hope had a sudden urge to go up to the apartment with the excuse of seeing Davina just to annoy her uncle more.

She sighed and ignored the growling cat, moving closer to tuck a strand of hair that fell into Josie's face, which blushed furiously.

"Until next time, Josie Claire." She licked her red lips and was pleased to see Josie follow the gesture with her eyes.

The brunette smiled and the Mikaelson noticed that her brown eyes were almost amber against the afternoon sunlight.

"See you later, stalker." She turned to walk toward the guardian. As they walked away, Hope could hear Uncle say something like '  _ Stalker? What did you mean, Josette? _ '

_ So Josie was a nickname for Josette, _ she thought,  _ every day I discover something new about you, little witch. _

When Josie left her backpack on the bed, an enchanted piece of paper came through the window, flying only to land in the siphon's hands. She unfolded it carefully and couldn't help smiling when she saw what was written.

'I've always been told that I'm great at convincing people.

HM, xxx-xxx-xxx '

Josie ignored Kai's mocking glances, and Asmund's hisses of irritation, which stopped when she petted him.

It was night when Kol got a call. He turned away from his wife and the teenager who were talking animatedly in the living room and went to the bedroom.

"Freya?"

"Kol! I wanted to make you a proposal." The witch announced.

"Very well, sister. I'm all ears."

"I've been thinking, and I wish Josie would come visit me a few times a week—"

"And by what pretext would she do such a thing?" Cut it out.

Kol could almost feel the roll of his sister's eyes.

"I can teach her about runes. For the little you guys have told me, she seems to attract danger and has no vast knowledge in that regard."

"What is that sudden interest in my protégée"

"She's under Hope's protection, dear brother. Have you forgotten whose ring she wears?" The blonde ignored the younger boy's grunts, "Besides, I can guarantee that my interests in her are purely educational. I won't do her any harm."

The vampire thought for a few seconds, "Very well, Freya. I'm sure Josie will be interested in your knowledge." He scratched his chin, "Is tomorrow morning good for you?"

"Perfect." Kol could have sworn he heard a sigh of relief from the woman, but ignored it. "Good evening, dear brother."

"Night, Freya."

The witch sighed in relief, a victorious smile on her lips as she looked at her wife watching from the couch. Freya looked again at the drawing she had made centuries ago while still living in Europe.

She would get to the bottom of this mystery, sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who want know,my Twitter is @aesir_wings. My wattpad user is @aesir_wings if you want to read the story there.
> 
> So, before some of you get mad at me, there's a warning on the first chapter saying that most of the characters WILL BE OOC.So, of course, they will have different personalities from canon because they didn't have the same experiences.
> 
> A lot happened in this chapter, didn't it?
> 
> First we have Asmund, Josie's new pet demon cat. I had this idea after watching the movie trailer from Pet Sematary, where the cat I chose plays Church. What did you think of him?
> 
> And then we have the second and third meeting between Hope and Josie.
> 
> We were introduced to a new character! Jennie Carstairs, based and with the features of Jennie Kim (Kpop star and basically a cat in human form).
> 
> We have a new problem. Josie has reactivated her connection with Lizzie and now she can't close anymore. Conrad tried to attack taking advantage of the situation and now knows that Josie was in Greenville.
> 
> And then we have Freya Mikaelson, who claims to have met Josie centuries ago! Any theory?
> 
> What do you think will happen later? The first part of the story is already halfway through!
> 
> See you later, dear readers.


	8. Nightmares and Auburn Hair

#  Nightmares and Auburn Hair

_ Josie is sinking. _

_ She looks up, and sees the rays of light streaming across the surface of the water. Her arms are light, her glass almost floating and she can feel the fabric of the dress she is wearing caress her legs. Deep in her mind, voices whispered in a strange language. _

_ She is drowning and it's peaceful.Until it isn't. _

_ Josie was sinking, the freezing water alerting her. She was struggling, trying to stay on the surface, trying to rise into the light, but it was no use, she was drowning. _

_ Josette tried to hold her breath, but the water entered the lungs anyway, unstoppable, causing the larynx to close to prevent water from reaching the lungs. Josie felt desperation seize, the struggling limbs starting to lose their strength, as if giving up. _

_ After a while, the larynx relaxed and Josie breathed involuntarily under the water, sucking in and swallowing a large amount of the cold liquid. The panic became intense and Josie sank deeper and deeper, the light from the surface getting farther and farther until the darkness and the cold took over. _

_ The voices in her mind grew louder and haunting until they evolved into shouting words. _

_ She closed her eyes tightly, and her back hit something soft. _

_ She could breathe again. _

_ She opened her eyelids and her pupils dilate with the light. Josie breathed heavily, propped herself up on her elbows, and saw that she was lying on a bed. _

_ The room was unknown, and when her eyes scanned the area, she found reddish-brown hair. _

_ Hope had her back to the bed, painting on an easel. Josie got out of bed, was all wet, and the sheets had their mark. _

_ "H-Hope?" She called weakly. _

_ Mikaelson didn't move. Josie walked slowly, leaving footprints on the floor. She was close enough to see the painting. _

_ It was almost done, it was the image of a bridge. The bridge was old, and a broad river ran beneath its stones. The sky was of a dawn that mixed dark blue with red. Josie looked at the girl, who looked mesmerized and wouldn't let go of the brush. _

_ She swallowed hard, her doe eyes still on the canvas. Something caught her eye and her brow furrowed. On the bridge wall was engraved a symbol. _

_ A rune. _

_ The whispers returned. The brunette wanted to put her hands to her ears, but she knew everything was on her mind. _

_ Josie had never seen that one before. The mark was simple, as simple as breathing, but seemed incomplete. _

_ Josie couldn't explain why. _

_ One hand gripped her wrist, it was Hope. Her blue eyes were blurry, glassy. Her red lips curled into a cruel smile. _

_ "Your time is running out," Her voice was hoarse like someone about to die, Josie felt her bones freeze and a chill run through her body. "He will find you." _

_ Josie's chin quivered, her heartbeat so loud it made her ears ache, "Who?" _

_ Hope's figure changed. Her skin wrinkled, clothes became a tunic, and her body became thin with a sickening sound of bones breaking and stretching until her back curved against the ceiling. Her eyes became two holes in her skull, her fingers elongated and her skin could barely cover them. _

_ Josie wanted to scream but couldn't. The old woman grabbed her face. _

_ "You'll find out soon, but it'll be too late, it's always been that way." She smiled with rotten teeth. "I'm Urðr, the elder. And your time is running out, völva." _

~ • ~

Freya's house was a bit out of town. The grounds were large, covered with trees and gardens, the neighbors were not near. The two walked in silence, Josie gazing the nature, with Asmund trotting beside her, and Freya watched the girl with a watchful eye. Sometimes the siphon saw her clench her jaw, as if to contain the urge to say something.

This time Josie wore nothing to cover her marks, but a simple, flowery blouse like the approaching spring. Occasionally Freya's eyes fell on the rune she had drawn the night before on the brunette's bust, as if not yet believing he had done that.

"Why?"

The woman blinked and shook her head slightly, astonishing whatever she was thinking. "Why what?"

Josie turned her brown eyes to the cat, who was hopping in the tall grass chasing whatever. The little bell on his collar tinkled, it had an illusion spell so no one would see hid wings, the mark on his forehead and the horns.

"Why call me here? Kol said you want to teach me more about runes," She took a few steps on the soft grass, getting closer to the blonde, "But I'm certain that's not all."

Freya lifted her chin, blue eyes scanning the younger girl's face. She had to fight the urge to swallow at the girl's extreme resemblance to the person of her past.

Josie took a deep breath, her shoulders slumping. "Have we met before?" And then she shook her head, cursing herself for letting the words slip away.

Freya's answer surprised the siphon, "I'm not sure yet." She carefully pulled a folded paper from her pocket and handed it to the girl.

Josie unfolded it cautiously,the paper was thick and yellowish. Her brow rose when she saw it was a drawing of herself.

"Look at the date."

Her breath caught in her throat, "September 1746.B-But how?"

"Does the name Adena mean anything to you?"

Josie closed her eyes tightly. Flashes came to her mind, the image of a waterfall, the sound of water hitting rocks, the sunbeams against wet skin, the smell of moss, the sound of laughter and a firm hand grasping hers

“  _ Adena! _ ” Heard a female voice tear a scream.

When she blinked, Josie was on the ground, her knees against the green grass. Her hands pressed against her ears as the damn whispers came back. She could feel Asmund's fur rubbing against her torso and Josie began to feel calmer. listening to the  _ familiar's _ purr. Freya's hands were on her shoulders, and the siphon could hear the echo of her calls.

"It's okay."

"What happened?"

Josette took a deep breath, "I can't explain." She definitely didn't want to tell anyone that heard voices in her head, "How do you know my name?"

Freya's eyes widened almost comically, "Your name?"

"Middle name, to be exact. And what is that drawing?"

"I met a girl named Adena once. She was your age and was extremely similar to you. But that was centuries ago, they can't be the same person." Freya whispered the last part, trying to assure herself more than the teenager.

Josie stared at the drawing now on the floor, staring into the same doe eyes she had herself.

"I'm not sure about anything anymore, Ms.Mikaelson."

~ * ~

Josie locked the apartment door and leaned against it, letting out a sigh. Davina came into view.

"So, how was it there?" She asked in such a maternal tone that Josie had to close her eyes so as not to tear up. She thought of her mother, and when was the last time she heard that tone in woman's words. She couldn't remember.

"It was productive. I learned a lot of things I didn't have on the Grimoire." She approached Claire witch.

Davina gave her a small smile, and put her hands to the younger girl's cheeks, lovingly massaging the marks under her eyes, "Haven't you slept well?" Her head tilted in concern.

Josie's eyelids drooped, and she almost made a contented sound from the back of her throat. "It's just a few nightmares. I've had them since I was a kid. They've been gone for a while, but they always come back." She completed in a resigned tone.

"Why not rest a little before lunch? Kol will only escort you to the Institute later."

Asmund meowed on the couch, then licked his paw. "You've already taken your daily dose of blood today, Asmund," Parker spoke. The cat meowed louder, like a challenge.

"I'll take care of him for now, go rest." Davina took the demon in her lap, caressing it from under his hairy chin.

"You're the best!" She exclaimed with difficulty on the way to her room, almost bumping into a bookshelf on the way. Lack of sleep was seriously affecting the teen.

~ * ~

The Mikaelson Institute looked like a school for troubled rich kids, an environment Josie was already familiar with. But Lake Forrest Academy in Chicago was not for the top three supernatural species, among others, like the New Orleans school.

The French-influenced architecture, but with a twist that existed only in Louisiana, was breathtaking. The school was huge, and the forest in the back was connected with an affluent of the Mississippi River. A beautiful amber-eyed woman was standing, waiting for them in front of the large wooden doors of the main building entrance. She had a smile on her face, a gesture Josie was not used to being received, and hugged Kol affectionately as they came close.

"And you must be Davina's niece. My name is Hayley Marshall." She held out her hand.

_ Physical contact _

For a moment Josie panicked. Kol seemed to have noticed, for he was about to intervene, but the siphon acted fast, reached for a quick but effective shake. Josie really had little experience with this form of physical contact or any kind at all.

The witch noticed Hayley look at the silver ring in her right hand. Josie then hid the object, playing with the Mikey's watch strap she wore. She could see that she had seen the woman's eyes sparkle momentarily, as if the final piece of the puzzle fell in the right place in her mind.

"I have a feeling you'll like this place."

Josie bit her lip, could feel the magic of the place, and hoped not to have a sensory overload.

"Hope so."

The siphon and her guardians had come to the same conclusion that the Institute would be the safest place for Josie at the moment, out of reach of the Witches of the French Quarter, who had already shown interest in the girl. She would still continue to meet Freya for at least three. times a week, and would visit Kol and Davina on the weekends.

Kol turned to the witch, "See you in a few days. Anything call us." He held out his arms.

Josie hugged him tightly. She was a little afraid to be separated from the couple, especially after they had created such a comfortable routine.

"Don't worry," she whispered so that only he could hear, "I'll be safe here."

Josie and Hayley watched the man out the huge iron gates and into his car.

"Klaus told me you'll be without a roommate."

Josie gave her a small smile, "I've always been a little lonely."

Hayley showed her inside first. The school was huge, and the library made Josie's brown eyes sparkle. But what really surprised her was what was in the fields behind the main building. Several students of all ages were there, some cheering and some training.

"Are they using swords?"

"Yes, and shields. '' The woman laughed as they walked." We have various fighting styles around here. Helps relieve the pressure of being a teenager in a world like ours. "

Josie wanted to ask if it wasn't too dangerous, but realized that there would always be witches around.

They were climbing the staircase to the dorms when they ran into a student. She looked a little older than Josie, Asian features and dark hair like the midnight sky.

"Miss Carstairs." Hayley greeted.

"Headmistress," the student nodded respectfully. And then her feline eyes scanned Josie, who had the instinct to shrink.

"Jennie, this is our new student, Josie Claire. She'll be in the room next to yours."

Jennie didn't look surprised, as if she already knew who the brunette was. She offered a small smile, didn't seem rude, just kept to herself.

"If you want, I can walk you to your room." She turned to Josie.

"That would be lovely," Josie spoke softly.

Hayley went to put a hand on the siphon's shoulder, but she had already stepped towards Jennie. If the headmistress seemed to notice, she did not react at all.

"Our classes have started a few days ago, but I feel like you will adapt well, Josie. But anyway, I want you to visit my office at the end of your first day, you already know where it is." Hayley put her hands behind her back, "Miss Carstairs, if you see Hope around, ask her to come looking for me, will you?"

"Sure, Headmistress."

~ * ~

Jennie was, well ... Jennie. There was no other explanation. She had the confident stance of a Chanel model, and she would have the ability to kill someone with her high heels while putting lipstick. That is, she intimidated Josie.

"This is your room." She pointed to the dark mahogany door. "What's your age again?"

"Sixteen." Josie tightened the strap of her backpack.

"Younger than me, so we'll only have a few classes in common. But if you need help with anything, I'm available, and I'm sure Hope too."

"Pardon?"

"Your ring. I bet half the school already knows, the news travels fast around here." Jennie leaned against the wall. "And she also took me with her once when she went to stalk you." She rolled her feline eyes.

Josie scowled, "She's not as discreet as she likes to think."

Jennie gave a real smile this time, and her cheeks were so fluffy that Josie wanted to pinch them. But of course she didn't voice her thoughts, she was sure Jennie could do enough damage with a raised eyebrow.

The girl went to the door across the hall, "I liked you, Claire." And entered your room.

Josie sighed, maybe this change places wasn't so bad.

~ * ~

When she entered the room, Hope was lying on her bed.

"The headmistress is looking for you." She threw the backpack at the foot of the bed.

Hope gestured with her hand, "My mother can wait a while."

Josie studied the room. It had a double bed, a desk near the window, the wardrobe on the opposite side, and a bookshelf, there was another door Josie imagined leading to the bathroom. The walls were covered with Fleur-de-lis. patterns.

"Why are you here?"

Hope got up and approached the witch, "I came to welcome you, little witch." She curled her finger into Josie's brown curls. "Do you really think I'd miss an opportunity to be alone with you?"

That made Josie's knees buckle, but she wouldn't give in so easily. She dodged Hope and went to where her suitcases were near the wardrobe. She smiled a little when she saw the violin case leaning against the wall.

"I didn't know you played."

"You don't know a lot of things about me, Hope Mikaelson." The Parker eased.

"Don't worry, it won't be like this for long."

Josie closed her eyes and approached the redhead, "What do you want from me, Hope?"

She smiled roguishly, "A kiss."

Josie lifted her chin, "And you think you deserve one?"

"But of course." She ran a hand through her reddish-brown hair.

Josie said nothing, just approached until they were only inches apart. Hope's hands rested on her waist, and Josie lifted her hands to the back of the older girl's neck. Hope's lids were almost covering her blue eyes and Josie almost got lost in them. Josie saw that they landed on her pulse, and Hope tensed for an instant before relaxing and gulping.

"There's just something I have to do before." She tiptoed to lean into Hope's ear, her fingers playing with the red strands at the nape of her neck. "It's a shame you won't win anything today."

"  _ Motus _ " Josie whispered.

"What—" Before the tribrid reacted, the bedroom door opened and she was thrown by an invisible force out of the room, her back against the hallway wall.

"Bye-bye." Josie nodded cynically and the door closed. Magic was truly wonderful.

The witch laughed out loud, the look on Mikaelson's face was priceless.

"Good luck next time, Mikaelson." She mumbled.

"You can bet, love." Josie listened from outside.

The siphon ignored the burning in her cheeks.

~ • ~

"Jennie said you were looking for me." Hope entered her mother's office.

"Yes. Now that your father has been visiting a friend in Italy, I will supervise your vampire training."

The two sat on the red couch in the left corner of the room.

"And so, how do you feel? Especially now with Josie around." Hayley began.

"Heightened emotions doesn't make things easy." She ruffled her hair, "Most of the times I just want to throw her against the wall and--"

"I get it! I just want you to be careful, Hope. Even though she's the girl you dreamed of, she's still Davina's niece and Kol is as protective of her as her father of you."

"I know, Mom. But I'm interested in her. Maybe starting to like." Hope fidgeted with her fingers in her lap.

"How is your feeding?"

The redhead hesitated and the woman arched an eyebrow.

"It was normal until a few days ago."

"How so?"

"The blood is not so ..." She thought for a while, "Appetizing as before." Hope swallowed, "I crave Josie's blood."

Hayley's brown eyes widened, "Hope! No way, she's strictly off-limits."

"I can't control mom! After I tasted there's no turning back."

The hybrid suddenly rose, "Did you bite her?"

The redhead scowled, "No. I met her in the woods a few weeks ago when I was in wolf form. I think she was doing a ritual or something, she had a cut in her forearm and I never felt the need to taste blood when I'm a wolf! I just tasted it, but I had to go out before I made a fool of myself. "

"Shit." The Marshall woman wandered around the room.

"She smells so good, Mom. That has never happened before." The redhead said breathlessly.

"I think this is related to your attraction to her, maybe it's increasing your thirst."

"Do you think I should get away from her?"

Hayley denied, "You know yourself, Hope. That wouldn't work long." She leaned against the desk. "Just be careful, okay?"

The tribrid approached and hugged her mother, "Leave it."

"Kol will kill you." Hayley murmured.

Hope let out a light laugh, "Not before I conquer that witch."

~ • ~

She woke up in the middle of the night, sweaty and covered on the floor. This time, the nightmare wasn't about drowning or haunting old ladies, it was worse. Josie had dreamed about her mother.

She swallowed and squeezed the mattress. Her hands shook and she had difficulty breathing.

The teen opened the nightstand drawer and took out the necklace, tying the silver chain around her wrist.

Kai emerged by the bed.

"Is not working."

"Are you sure? That sleeping potion was heavily concentrated."

"If it had worked, I wouldn't be awake now. And I keep dreaming." She tied her hair in a bun.

"The magic energy of the place is affecting your senses."

Josie sighed, "I thought I was strong enough to handle it. The meditation sessions with Kol helped a lot."

"But not enough."

"There's one more problem. How am I going to act like a normal witch if I'm not even that?" The brunette fell on her back in frustration. "I planned to go unnoticed, but cleary that won't work."

The man paced the room, his hands in his pants pocket, "What are you going to do with that?"

"That what?

"Your aversion to physical contact."

"It wasn't really a problem at my old school, but now everything has changed." Josie's eyebrows furrowed.

"You let me touch you with no problem."

"Yeah, but I can't do anything to you."

"But what about Hope?"

"Hope is different. I don't care because I want to touch her."

"Oh yeah?"

"Back to the point, Griffin waited more than two weeks until I was comfortable enough, he was patient until I told him what happened.

"What exactly happened? You never had a chance to tell me." Kai tilted his head, nose scrunched.

Josie scowled, "I don't know if I want to talk about my childhood traumas at three in the morning. My mind is already fucked up enough for now."

"Do you want a hug?"

"Not." She snapped. The siphon didn't give a damn, jumping on the bed like a sack of potatoes. He threw his arms around the teenager and squeezed.

Josie tried to hit her uncle, but her arms were stuck. "Kai! I'm not breathing!" She shrieked.

"Shut up and enjoy."

"Okay."

"And stop pouting."

Josie rolled her eyes.

She didn't even notice when she fell asleep.

~ • ~

Josie was a strategist. So she woke up earlier than the students, went to the cafeteria, took what she wanted for breakfast on a red tray and went to sit farther away from the fields behind the building, on the edge of the woods.

She had laid eyes on that little corner when Hayley showed her around the school, and realized that the other students tended to stay away.

Josie loved the morning sunlight and sighed contentedly when she felt her face heat up with the rays of light. She wore the amulet, which was hidden by her school uniform. She had a slight headache - she was still getting used to the intense volume of magic from the school - but when distracted, it was as if the pain didn't exist.

The blazer she wore covered her arms, but Davina and Josie agreed that this alone would not be enough protection. Conveniently, Kai showed her an  _ illusion _ rune that hid all of her runes, including the birth Gemini mark. The  _ protection _ rune Freya carved a few days back seemed to be permanent, as did the Viking compass on her forearm.

"Ready for your first day?" Kai appeared.

Josie looked around, there was no one around to see her talking to nothing. She twisted Hope's ring on her finger and considered leaving it in the bedroom.

"Today I'm just going to do some tests with the teachers to see what my level of knowledge is so they can send me to a class."

"How boring."

"Anything that doesn't involve blood for you is boring, Uncle."

"Huh, that seems about right."

Josie sighed and pulled her knees to her chest. She stared at the few groups of friends across campus.

"Why this upside-down face? Stop with the pouting."

"I just miss Lizzie and Griffin so much." She tugged the grass between her fingers, "I wonder if they're all right, and if Conrad has done anything since his last attempt to get into my mind."

"Knowing him, I bet he must have sent someone to Greenville already."

Josie frowned, "How is your past with Conrad? You told me you had 'history'."

The siphon shrugged, "I killed his wife."

Josie gasped, "Did you kill Griffin's mom?"

Kai scowled, "Yeah, I think he wasn't even two yet."

Josie let out a bitter laugh and shook her head, "Now it's explained why he hates me so much."

"And wants to kill you," Kai added.

"That too," She looked at the Mickey Mouse watch on her wrist. "I better go, it's almost time for my tests." Her stomach wrapped with anxiety.

"You should have drawn a 'luck' rune."

"Wouldn't that be cheating?"

He smiled sharply, "Exactly."

~ • ~

The moment Josie feared was finally here. Dinner time.

The brunette was in the hallway near the dining hall, thinking of all the possibilities of getting food and escaping to her room.

The odds were not very good.

"Josie?" The siphon felt a hand about to grasp her shoulder, but in one swift movement, she turned and slightly deviated from the gesture.  _ Years of practice have made her an expert. _

The voice and hand belonged to Jennie, who raised a well-made eyebrow at the siphon.

"All right?"

"Yes." Josie wanted to cringe for how bad her lie was, and blamed it all on the fact that Jennie was naturally intimidating. "J-Just don't get along with crowds." She pointed toward the students' voices and then scanned the Carstairs's clothing. "Is this Chanel?"

"But of course!" She spoke as if it were clear she wouldn't wear anything lesser than that. Jennie's feline eyes brightened, "Wait for me here, I'll get your food. I realize you won't get in there today."

Josie smiled, happy and a little thrilled by Jennie's gesture. "Thank you."

When the eldest returned, Josie hesitated a little before giving her a careful hug as she carried a tray.

After stepping away, she could see a surprised look in the Korean.

"What?"

"It's just that I could see that you're not very fond of physical contact, I'm very observant."

Josie shrugged shyly. "I'm trying to change it slowly."

Jennie straightened her Chanel blazer, "I'm sure you'll make it, Claire." She turned and headed for the hall.

~ • ~

_ Adena sighed and looked down the stone bridge. Water. Running water, dark, deep, pitiless. _

_ She could not swim. _

_ Her brown hair was braided, but gradually tumbled down her left shoulder. The soles of her shoes were so thin she could feel the stones of the bridge railing as if she were barefoot. _

_ The whispers in her mind were disconnected, but they always came back to the only two intelligible words. _

** _ Jump. Die _ **

_ The wind blew, and her body reeled. She didn't think twice. _

_ The free fall didn't last long, and the shock against the freezing water was intense. The sense of peace and stillness came soon after, along with the acceptance of her fate. _

_ She was ready to find out what really was. _

* * *

_ She woke up with a cough, her airways burning. She tried to get up, but a hand stopped her. _

_ "Calm down. You're exhausted." _

_ Her doe's eyes were blurry, but they welcomed the blond-haired female figure. Little by little, the brunette lay on the simple bed. She was in a modest cabin, all she could assimilate at the moment.Her mind was spinning with memories,one unlike the other, green fields of a place she knew to be Scotland, stone castles, ancient swords, a forest. _

_ A blond man, and a cave. _

_ The siphon, wanting to stop the speed of her thoughts, concentrated on the woman, who held out her hand with a steaming clay mug. She could feel magic in the cabin;a witch, she thought. _

_ "How did I get here?" She forced her throat to speak and took a long drink of the hot drink, didn't even realize her hands were trembling slightly. Everything hurt, but at least the whispers stopped. _

_ "I saved you," the woman replied, "I don't know how yet. You were dead." Her thin eyebrows rose, and the brunette noticed that she spoke differently, her pronunciation harsh even though her voice was tender. _

_ "How did you drown?" _

_ "I jumped off the bridge." The words flew without even realizing it. She pulled the covers closer,seeking warmth. _

_ "I'm Freya. Who are you?" _

_The girl opened her mouth, but nothing came out, as if she didn't know her name. In a way, she was no longer Adena.Was_ n't **only** _Adena. Her fingers squeezed the clay cup._

_ "They call me Adena." She answered. _

_ A half truth, they called her of various names. _

~ * ~

It was the middle of the night and Josie couldn't go back to sleep, and she didn't want to think about the dream she'd had.

So she wandered around the sleeping Institute, climbing as many stairs as she could find until she reached the roof.

Without thinking, she climbed onto the railing. The cold wind was as familiar as the scene she had dreamed.Josie admired the night lights of New Orleans and how they shone on the black surface of the Mississippi River. Josie loved high places.On the sky,storm clouds were a subtle but accurate dark contrast against the bluish purple of the night.

Her fingers trailed down her throat, she could feel a ghostly burning sensation. After a while, she surrendered to the thoughts and questions she had.

Freya was in her dream.

No, not a dream.

_ Memory. _

In the memory, Adena killed herself on purpose, drowned with a clear intention:

_ Find out what she was. _

Josie sighed, everything was so confusing, shuffled and mashed together in her mind.

"Are you going to jump, little witch?"

It was the second time she was asked that question.

"Not yet." She answered softly.

"I hope this moment never comes,then." She felt hands on her waist.

With the help, Josie came down and turned to Hope.

"Why are you here?" The brunette asked.

Hope smirked, "I'm more interested in what you're doing here."

The wind blew, sending Hope's red streaks in front of her. With a care she didn't know she possessed, Josie curled one on her finger, then traced the side of Hope's face with a touch as light as the wind itself. The siphon noticed that once in a while the older girl's blue eyes fell into the vein on her neck, and Hope held her breath for a few seconds.

"Turbulent dreams. And you?"

"In case you forgot," she tilted her head, "I'm part-night creature too." Lightning struck the sky, illuminating Hope's eyes that turned red for a thousandth of a second.

"Oh yes. The Almighty Tribrid."

"I approve the Almighty part." She laughed together with the sound of thunder.

"You meant your ego, didn't you?" Josie arched an eyebrow, Hope noticed that this one had a minor flaw.

Hope swallowed, "There's something I'd like to ask you." The words came out slow and afraid.

Josie tilted her head, causing her braid to fall from her shoulder. "What is it?"

The redhead took a deep breath and the siphon felt her hands on her waist tighten slightly, "I want to ask permission to drink your blood."

Josie blinked repeatedly, "Sorry, but what?"

"I desperately want to drink your blood. From that moment in the woods, I have no peace! I've tried all types, but none satisfy me." She looked almost desperate. "I promise not to hurt you, I really have exemplary self-control, ask my uncle Kol!"

The Mikaelson continued to chatter and Josie stared in astonishment. When she finally woke up from the trance she was in - because Hope's eyes were a bit more charmingly darker - she finally interrupted the older one.

"Okay."

The redhead stammered a few times before learning to speak again, "Really?"

Josie shook her head positively, "I only have one condition." She lifted a finger near the cheek and Hope wanted to bite it, just because the brunette was just too cute for her heart to handle.

"All right."

"I want to drink your blood in return."

Hope was speechless, a rare occasion.

"Deal."

The brunette had a sparkle in her eyes that Hope couldn't make out, "Let's do it now, or what?"

Hope clenched her jaw, her gums tingled. Another lightning cut the sky.

"Now." The voice was hoarse and the shivers that ran through Josie's body were certainly not caused by the night wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,sorry for the long wait.Next month i'll have an extremely important exam here in brazil,which will determinate if i'll enter college or not,so im really trying to study.
> 
> WARNING:THIS IS THE PART WERE IT WILL START TO TALK ABOUT NORSE MYTHOLOGY!IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN THIS STORY AND FROM NOW ON THOSE UNIVERSES WILL COLLIDE.
> 
> THE ENTIRE SIPHON ORIGIN STORY WAS PLANNED TO HAVE BEGUN WITH NORSE CULTURE,SO IF YOU DONT LIKE IT FEEL FREE TO LEAVE
> 
> ps: Magnus Chase fans will like it.
> 
> What did you guys think?Liked the few hosie moments?  
> What are your theories about Josie's dreams?Who is the old lady she dreamt about?What did she mean by "he will find you"?What is the relation between Josie and Adena,and why did she jumped off of that brige?
> 
> I really want to know what do you guys think it will happen in the future?
> 
> Unfortunately,I'll only be able to update again at the end of November,so see you guys there!


	9. Golden Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoooo Im back

#  Golden blood

It started to rain and the room was dark except for the dim light coming from the lamp on the study table near the window.

They entered the room without saying anything, complete silence with their breathing heavy. Hope stopped near the bed and extended her hand to Josie. The brunette approached, and the order's fingers stroked her hand where was the ring she had left with Josie.

"Take off your shirt," Hope whispered, her face close to Josie's. "We don't want to make a mess."

In a brave moment, "Are you going to take yours too?", The words came out of Josie without her holding back.

Hope smiled rogue-ish, "Whatever you desire, little witch."

The Mikaelson's fingers detached from Josie's and went up to the collar of the brunette's shirt, and began to unbutton the buttons patiently.

Josie's torso was slowly appearing, and when she was exposed the Mikaelson's blue orbs enjoyed the sight in front of her. She let her palms lightly touch the witch's waist, her fingertips caressing the warm skin.

Josie parted her lips and a little sigh was born from there. This kind of contact was completely new to her, since she was barely touched in her entire life, and while these caresses of Hope cause her a certain strangeness, Josie was doing her best to put fear aside and let curiosity reign.

Hope's right hand came out of its place at her waist and traced the younger girl's torso, trembling with goosebumps across Josie's skin, through the hollow of her breasts pinned to her bra until she reached the collar of her shirt. All this while gazing attentively the brunette's face, her cheeks red, her lips full of ragged breathing and her dark eyes with heavy eyelids. Even in the dim lighting of the room, Hope still enjoyed every second.

Hope pulled the collar off her shirt, which fell down her arms to the floor. Josie mentally thanked herself for using an illusion rune to hide the marks on her skin, but all the gratitude was forgotten when Mikaelson slowly bent over her neck and left a chaste kiss there while tightening the hold on her waist.

Josie's breath hitched, and her chest rose almost meeting the older woman's torso. Hope took a small step back, a trace of a small smile on her face. She took off the red shirt she was wearing and Josie wasn't shy at all to look.

Hope extended her hand again to Josie, and helped the younger to settle into bed, just then getting on top of the girl, one leg on either side of her waist.

The rain outside continued and as lightning struck the sky, Hope's features lit up. Veins beneath her eyes that were black red with swirls from the yellow of a wolf.

"That night I found you," Josie whispered, "Why didn't you take the blood I offered you?"

Hope gave her a funny little smile, her pearly fangs sticking out between her lips.

"Blood in a bag doesn't do me any good. It tastes bad, it's thick and cold." She bent slowly and her red hair touched the younger girl's cheek. "I prefer it fresh." Her hand curled around Josie's neck.

Josie's breath failed, not because of the redhead's hand on her neck - no, she wasn't even squeezing and Josie liked the feel of it there - but because Hope looked perfect in the dim light, her reddened hair marking her skin look paler, lips that made her mind go to unusual places, and a body so slender it made Josie's mouth dry and her fingers tingle with the urge to touch the redhead with the same mastery that she played a violin.

And then she bent down in a torturous slowness, until Josie felt the breath on her neck. Hope's hand slipped to the heart of the brunette, feeling the rapid beat of it. The tips of the canines trailed across her skin, taking another sigh from Josie's lips.

When the skin of her neck was finally pierced, Josie felt the sting of pain, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. Soon she was bending her neck to give Hope more access, her body arched, in contact with that of the tribrid. She felt as if all of her nerve endings were being stimulated, could think of nothing but  _ Hope Hope Hope Hope Hope _ .

Hope could only smell Josie's scent mixed with the scent of blood around the room, such blood with  _ divine _ taste that she had never savored before, as if there was something else in it, something Hope had never encountered before.

She tried not to swallow in a hurry, because she wanted to savor completely this nectar of the gods that was Josie's blood.

Hope tugged at Josie's neck with a moan, blood dripping from her mouth. She stared at the sight below her, a flushed Josie with ragged breathing and messy hair. Almost black-brown eyes and Hope saw desire in them.

The redhead had to bite her lip to muffle the sound that came out of her throat.

Blood had pooled in the brunette's neck and collarbone, spewing from the two twin holes Hope had pierced. The tribrid swore she saw something odd about the color of the liquid, but soon dismissed the thought, blaming the dim light in the room.

An idea came to mind. She used her fingers to spread the blood down Josie's neck and collarbone, close to her jaw, then licked her fingers in satisfaction with what she had done.

"Hope ..." Josie whimpered, her torso rising and falling. In her eyes, there was an implied plea.

"You have a delicious taste, my love." She said in a hoarse tone before bending down until their bodies were glued together.

Hope licked, kissed, and nibbled at the skin starting at her collarbone, and it was then that the small sounds began to rise from Josie's throat and out her lips, shy moans and little mews. The younger girl's hands clenched at her back, her nails scraping against the back of her neck and then gripping Mikaelson's reddish strands.

When she reached the perforations of her fangs she mistreated the spot even more, allowing more blood to come out and meet her tongue. Kisses reached Josie's jaw and Hope lifted her face to look at the witch.

The Mikaelson's lips were still smudged, so she licked them purposefully slowly, just to see Josie's longing gaze.

Gods, Hope really wanted to kiss this girl so hard until she lost her senses.

Not that she seems to have any of them now.

She lovingly placed a stray strand of Josie behind her ear.

"Was it pleasant enough for you, Josie?"

Hope could have sworn that if she could, Josie's cheeks would turn redder with the comment.

The Parker sat on the bed, forcing Mikaelson to do the same.

"I think it's my turn now, right?"

Hope just grinned, and leaned against the headboard, pulling Josie to sit on her lap. Josie was about to speak but the tribrid traced the edge of her bra, just to see the brunette stumble with the words.

Hope giggled, Josie's brown eyes softened, a strange confusion settled in her stomach.

"No need to be nervous," Hope mumbled, looking at the blood beginning to dry on Josie. "You'll like it, I promise."

Josie nodded, took a hairpin from the nightstand, and in quick whispered words the object turned into a small pocketknife.

"I think you better cut it."

Hope's lips curved into a smile to comfort the girl, taking the knife and making the incision between her neck and shoulder.

"Bon Appetit."

Before Josie could think twice - and the wound close - she leaned over and her lips touched the hybrid's skin.

At first, it was strange. It still had something that remained the metallic taste of common blood, but the kind of sweet and addictive taste that only a vampire could have flooded her mouth. Carefully, the siphon put her hands on Hope's shoulders for support. Taking small sips of the red liquid, her eyes closed as she took advantage of the unique new situation she was in at the moment.

Hope's affection caress in her hair made her shiver and tremble, and when the redhead pulled a particular lock Josie bit the skin of her neck in response, making more blood enter her mouth and a hoarse sound escape Josie's throat.

When she decided she had had enough, Josie stopped but kept her head on Hope's shoulder, too shy to leave a small kiss on the scarred cut - as much as she really wanted to.

Josie felt groggy, maybe from sleep, maybe from blood, maybe from Hope's mess. Her body was heavy, and she realized again that she was in the middle of the night.

"You need sleep, and I have to go to my room." The oldest whispered.

"It's not like the trip is long." Josie said as the tribrid shared the room with Jennie at the front door.

This time Hope laughed, "You're right."

Then began to tuck the witch into bed, the pillows, the blankets. Until she scowled.

"Your pillow has stained a little." Hope said a little guiltily seeing traces of Josie's blood.

"That's a problem for tomorrow," murmured a sleepy Josie. "And I know some useful spells."

The Mikaelson stroked Josie's locks, reaching for the girl's cheek where she left a tender kiss. Her fingers met Josie's, and she played with the silver ring she left for the brunette.

Amid sleepy thoughts of how beautiful Hope's smile was, it dawned on Josie that she still had to ask Hope to explain what the ring meant. But the redhead tipped her head to the side and Josie's thoughts turned to the red hair of the tribrid and how pretty it was.

"Thanks for that, Josie. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"You're welcome, Mikaelson." Yawned. "Now go now, I have to sleep and the day will be stressful enough to put up with it without a rest of its own."

~ • ~

"This is new." Kai said while scratching his thin beard.

Josie sighed, "This must be a joke..." She massaged the temples, dawned with an uncomfortable headache.

They both stared at the bloodstained pillow on the bed. The problem was not the blood itself, but its color.

Through the scarlet red was a gold color. Yes, among the dark, dry red were gold-colored fillets.

_ The universe can only hate me, there's no other explanation. _

"Was that in my blood?"

"Jo, I think  _ 'that' _ is your blood. And there's one more thing ..." He gestured with his index finger to her niece's neck.

When Josie's fingers touched there she grimaced in pain. She ran to the mirror and saw that Hope's bite was not healed, which should have happened because the brunette had ingested the blood of the hybrid.

"Wonderful! Now vampire blood doesn't work on me!" She threw her hands up.

"And your blood is changing color." Kai said while fumbling in the brunette's music sheets.

"Thank you for reminding me, dear uncle, as if I hadn't discovered it minutes ago!" She screamed and then closed her eyes, "Bloody headache."

Josie took  _ Stele _ out of the nightstand drawer and cut her palm. Kai stepped closer and they watched the red blood with golden threads flood the girl's hand.

The Siphon washed her hand and made two healing runes, one on the severed palm and one on the neck. Unfortunately they had no effect on the pain in her head, she would have to look for a painkiller.

"Jennie is in charge of the Institute's lab, maybe she can help me analyze what's going on with my blood before class starts."

~ • ~

The cafeteria was full, even though Josie had arrived early. She was alone at a table far from the center, Kai's necklace under her shirt, and a headache that was starting to bother her.

She was distracted listening to music and sneaking glances at the sociopath beside her who made faces and obscene gestures at the teens he found annoying (basically everyone).

What awakened her from the sound of her music was the two figures sitting in front of her, red trays with breakfast in hand.

Hope and Jennie.

"Hey! It's your first day, isn't it?" Hope said with a smile. At the same moment came the memories of last night and Josie began to blush at the image of a Hope on top of her with no shirt on.

"Yeah. I'm a little anxious, a school for supernatural is new to me."

Jennie poked at a chocolate chip muffin with the juice straw. "Rest assured, as I said, even though we're older we'll help you with whatever you need."

Josie arched an eyebrow and Kai turned to her with a smile.

"Since you offered it ... I need your help analyzing something in the lab."

Hope narrowed her blue eyes, "Now I'm curious, I'm inviting myself along."

Josie laughed and took off the airpods.

Hope pointed with her forefinger, "Are these Louis Vuitton airpods?"

Jennie widened her eyes and slammed her hands on the table, startling the brunette. "Not in this Chanel household, girl!" 

~ • ~

"So ..." Jennie adjusted her latex gloves, "What do you want me to look at?"

Josie leaned against the lab counter, "My blood."

Jennie made a confused face and Josie again felt like squeezing her cheeks, they were so cute.

"What's wrong with your blood?"

"Yeah, it looked normal last night." Hope said.

"Last night?" Jennie asked suspiciously. "What were you two doing last night?"

Josie's eyes widened, "Uh ..." She looked at Hope who shrugged. "Nothing?"

"You know what? I don't care." Jennie straightened her dark hair into a ponytail. "I'll need a sample, Josie." She held out a needle.

Hope hissed and turned her head, Josie let out a laugh.

"You won't tell me that the almighty one here is afraid of needles."

Jennie also showed fun on her feline eyes.

"Let it go, just go on." The redhead crossed her arms.

Josie extended her left arm for the witch to draw her blood.

" _ Ah _ , so that's what's wrong." Carstairs muttered.

In the bottle, along with the red liquid, there was a golden color. Jennie fiddled with the syringe to see if the golden substance mixed, but it remained intact.

"This is weird." Hope muttered. "But if it's any consolation, your blood tasted  _ divine _ !" She grinned and the smile made Josie's stomach turn, she forgot the pain in her head.

"Really Hope?" Jennie grunted.

~ • ~

For Josie, the rest of the day was awkward. It was somewhat weird about getting out of Geography class and going to Spell class, or going out of Potions class and going to Mathematics while thinking of the ingredients she had to collect in the woods for to the next class.

She even talked to the other students, but always got tense when someone touched her and they were polite enough to keep a short distance.

But she was still trying her best to get over it, even if it wasn't easy. The magic impregnated at school made things difficult too, and sometimes she felt her head spin. To do the spells on classes she still wore Kai's necklace.

It was after dinner that she met again with Hope and Jennie in the lab.

"I can tell you that the substance is blood, that's for sure." Jennie began, "But it changed the color completely and some properties too. Oh, and the DNA."

"My DNA?" Josie asked.

"Yeah, it's so weird. And it's not human. I compared it with samples from other supernaturals, even Landon's," Josie didn't know who that person was, but it turned out that it didn't matter for now. "I've never seen anything like this before and I don't know what kind of changes it can make to you. It organizes itself differently, new substances that I couldn't properly analyze."

Josie just shook her head.

"Haven't you ever noticed that before?" Hope asked.

"No. I had a blood test a few weeks ago at my old school before ..." Josie stopped short, forgetting that none of the girls knew she was a Parker, not a Claire. "Moving in with Davina."

The Siphon ran her hands over her face, the headache was distracting her.

"It's been a lot for today, I think I'm going to my room."

Hope moved closer, caressing her wrist. "I'll walk you there."

~ • ~

The walk was quiet. Between the flights of stairs and Josie leaning against the redhead, who didn't seem to care in the least.

Josie had made the most of it, having grown up with the least affectionate contact with others, she was not afraid when Hope touched her. Her head was on the girl's shoulder and Josie took in the scent that made her mind relax.

"Your blood doesn't work on me." She muttered tiredly.

Hope stopped walking, "What?"

"I think it's one of the other weird things about me." She gave an exhausted smile.

The tribrid brought a hand to Josie's neck, "My bite-"

"I already healed."

"How?"

"I have some tricks up my sleeve." Deep down, Josie wondered if she would ever tell Hope about her runes. About who she really was. Could she keep this secret for long?

She raised her brown eyes to Mikaelson's face and felt her heart race.

"We have arrived." Hope announced.

Josie leaned against the door and pulled the redhead into a hug. Hope looked pleased with the gesture. When they parted, Josie gave the older girl a small kiss on the cheek, leaving a small mark of the lip-gloss she wore.

"Thank you, Hope." She said with lids heavy in sleep.

Hope smirked, "You get so cute sleepy like this."

"This is not the first time you see me in this state."

"I assure you it won't be the last." Hope said with a smile that screamed trouble, her blue eyes gleaming in the hall light.

Josie blushed so hard she felt her cheeks hot.

"Good night, Mikaelson."

Hope approached and kissed her temple, "Good night, Claire." She gave Josie's wrist one last squeeze and was gone.

When Josie entered the room, Kai had a mischievous smile on his lips.

"So ..." He began.

"Do not you dare!"

_ A new crush, maybe. _

~ • ~

_ Sinister. That was how Josie described this place. Sinister, but familiar. _

_ Josie wore a long dark dress that trailed on the floor. It had long sleeves but showed off her collarbones and had no straps. The bodice was tight and had a pattern like scales with gold detailing, the skirt was black and dark brown, of a wonderful fabric. She felt her long hair, flapping at the waist, with a thin crown braid at the top. _

_ Clearly it was not from her times. _

_ Josie was also aware that this wasn't a dream, not that she had those before to compare. _

_ She did not control her actions. She walked down the stone corridor, which the siphon knew deep in her mind that it belonged to a castle. Occasionally she passed a window and saw a vast expanse of vibrating green hills on the horizon. Most days the girl had a desire to take a mount and gallop through the hills, the wind hitting her chest hard. _

_ When she reached the huge wooden door, two guards waited there. One opened the door and she entered the room, two men were there at a table near the fireplace. _

_ "You called me, my lord father. _ " Josie heard her own voice say sweetly.*

_ The older man smiled, his hair was short and he had a dimple on his chin. They both wore expensive cloth clothes. _

_ "Mary! My dear daughter." He called the girl close, who obeyed. "I want you to meet Lord Klaus, he will spend the season with us." _

_ The brunette made a courtesy, and Lord Klaus kissed her knuckles. _

_ "It's a pleasure to have you here, my lord. Scotland is beautiful this time of year." _

_ The man smiled and his blue eyes too, "I'm sure I'll enjoy my stay here immensely." _

_ ••• _

_ The arrow struck the target's bullseye for the seventh time, but still, Mary's face was hard as stone. _

_ "What made you so mad, Lady Mary." _

_ The girl looked to the side, where leaning against a tree was Klaus. Since the first month of his arrival, the two had approached and became friends, the older man with his stories about books and art became an interesting pastime in the pre-existent routine of the Lady. _

_ "Count Sebastian arrives in a fortnight." She said through her teeth as she fitted another arrow. She pulled the string and the arrow hit the target again. Klaus watched the object's path. _

_ "The Austrian?" _

_ "Yes." _

_ "I heard your father mention him a few times." _

_ Mary sighed and dropped the bow and quivered it in the grass. She approached the Lord. _

_ "He's my betrothed. Dad wants us to get married by spring." She leaned on the tree, like Niklaus. "These are the moments I'd like to have your compelled power." _

_ The vampire smiled, "It wouldn't work on your father." _

_ Mary straightened her long brown hair, "Let's go." And started to walk. _

_ "Where to, my lady?" The vampire followed her. _

_ "I have to get a specific herb in the forest for a potion, and your company has never bothered me, my Lord." She mocked lightly. _

_ "What plant?" The vampire asked as he put his hands on his back. _

_ "Valerian." _

_ Klaus frowned, "Are you going to make a sleeping potion?" _

_ The witch seemed to hesitate before answering, "Since my sixteenth name day I have been having unusual dreams." Her hands went up the hem of her dress so she could walk better on the grass. "Weird dreams." _

_ Klaus reached out to help the girl the downhill path into the woods, "Do you wish to talk about? _

_ The brunette shook her head. After some time of walking, they came to the edge of the woods. _

_ "I have a request, Lord Klaus." _

_ "And what is it?" _

_ "I found an interesting spell in one of the library's grimoire, and I wish you would allow me to take some of your magic to do so." _

_ The vampire nodded, "But of course, Lady Mary." _

_ Mary smiled. _

_ ••• _

_ Scotland 1512 _

_ My confidant, _

_ Spring is coming closer and closer, and my dreams continue. This time, it was an old woman who is said to be Urðr, the elder, and she professes that my destiny is approaching, that the cycle is almost complete. _

_ Her words have confused me, and I must confess that I think they are not only dreams. I find myself dreaming of places I have never been before, but with a feeling so familiar that it can only be memories. _

_ The question is, who do they belong to? Me, or another entity? _

_ Mary Campbell _

~ • ~

Josie woke up screaming.

~ • ~

"So you dreamed, not only of Adena, but of another girl besides her?" Freya asked slowly.

"Yes. Her name was Mary Campbell and she lived in Scotland, she was sixteen and she was also having dreams." Josie stopped for breath and looked at Asmund purring at her feet. "Mary lived in 1512. And she was also visited by Urðr the elder, like me a few nights ago."

Kol and Davina were with them both in the library and it was the first time they had listened to the full story, from dreams to the fact that Josie had met Freya in another time.

"You can't be a doppelganger," Kol began, "They don't dream about their copies, and they don't exist in that short span of time."

Josie bit her lip, "I have a feeling they weren't past seventeen." She said fearfully as she played with Mikey Mouse's vintage watch that Lizzie had given her. Hopes Mikaelson's ring glittered on her ring finger.

The speech clearly bothered the three adults.

"Let's do the math." Davina got up to walk around the library, "Assuming Mary died at sixteen in 1512 and Adena in 1845..."

"It's 333 years apart." Kol said and then was thoughtful, "Hm ..."

"What?" Josie asked.

Freya had a similar reaction to her brother's, "The number 3 is important in Norse mythology, especially when it appears 3 times like this. And you said you dreamed of a figure from that mythology."

"But Josie isn't sixteen 333 years later, she was born much earlier." Davina said.

"That fact is bothering me." Josie shifted in her seat, "It seems wrong ... like breaking a  _ cycle _ ."

"In my dreams, Mary wrote that she was having memories of someone before her, but I couldn't get a name." Josie continued and then scowled, "And I'm 97% sure I met Klaus Mikaelson, unless we have another super-old vampire by that name."

Kol massaged his temples, "How many Mikaelsons have you met, huh?"

Josie raised a four-fingered hand and a smile on her face just to annoy her guardian.

Freya sighed, "Adena stayed with me for only five days, but she had no runes and no blood changing its color." She walked over to the wooden box on the table, "We were going in opposite directions and after a while her family found me. "

The information piqued curiosity in Kol, Davina, and Josie.

"I remember a little bit about parting ways with you, but it's a little blurry. I'm still trying to control those memories." Said Josie.

"Your family was looking for you desperately. I told them the direction you went and they told me a few things in exchange. They told me you ran away from a psychiatric hospital in France."

"What?"

"Your family knew you were magical, that you were a siphon, but they put you there because you showed certain behaviors. It all started with dreams and nightmares, you woke up screaming meaningless things in the middle of the night in a strange language."

The couple looked at Josie, there were a few nights that Josie woke up screaming words in a language that sounded like old Norse and Kol had to hug her and Davina sing lullabies for her to calm down.

"Dreams were just the beginning, Adena began to exhibit self-destructive behavior." Freya said fearfully, "She tried... to kill herself on certain occasions, even at the hospital. Your father told me that you were trying to jump off the roof or towers, or trying to drown. And when I saved you back then, you had jumped from a bridge and drowned. "

The three looked at the brunette, Kai appeared and looked at her, worried. Asmund stopped purring, feeling the tension in the room.

"Josette Adena II Parker Claire," Davina growled, "Don't tell me you've been doing this kind of things."

Josie cringed and gave a shy smile, "I wouldn't say I tried to jump from high places, like a bridge or the Institute ceiling," she said slowly in a tuned voice. "But I found myself in these situations ... Sometimes?"

Kol's eye twitched.

Kai seemed to want to let out a laugh, of nervousness or fun, Josie wouldn't be able to tell.

Davina was about to have an aneurysm.

Freya looked worried.

"I call it morbid curiosity." The teenager tried.

"And I, stupidity." Kol snapped.

"I still don't know how they died, but something in me tells me it was from the same way." Josie confessed, "I think I'm a reincarnation."

~ • ~

The adults talked in one corner and Josie wandered around Freya's library. She ran her hands along the spines of thick books until she felt a shock run through her body.

_ Black magic. _

"Ouch!" She exclaimed. Davina looked at her, but Josie smiled to calm her down. The siphon looked at the book, "Necromancy!" She said excitedly and turned to Freya, "Can I please read this book?"

Freya tilted her head slightly with an amused smile, "Of course you can."

Josie's brown eyes practically twinkled, "Amazing!" She exclaimed, "A few years ago Jo caught me with one of these and she got very angry, left me locked on a small room in attic for almost two days without food." For a moment she seemed stuck in memory, but then she shook her head, picked up the grimoire, and went to the table.

The adults' faces hardened, "What did you say, Josie?" Kol asked in a low tone.

The Parker looked up from the page and patted Asmund, who trotted into the woods to feed and bring a dead bunny to his master to practice Necromancy. "Oh, it was no big deal. It was a light punishment, every child has one of those once in a while." She smiled and began reading again.

The Mikaelson's exchanged glances. They would remember to discuss this later.

Kol adjusted his watch, "An informant of mine told me that Conrad sent some men to Greenville and the surrounding area.

Josie froze, "Did he find out about where I am?"

"I don't think so, but we're not sure about it."

"The ritual he was doing ..." Josie began thoughtfully, "I managed to decipher a few more words, I don't know how, but I can decipher old Norse." She ran her hands through the brown strands, a quick thought about cutting her hair came to mind, "He was making an offering to a goddess."

Freya narrowed her blue eyes, "Which one?"

_ "Hela, goddess of the Kingdom of the Dead." _

~ • ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a long time, huh guys?
> 
> Sorry, but it's the end of the school year, before yesterday was my graduation, I'm finishing my senior year of hs!
> 
> Now, there will be a LOT of Norse mythology, a lot.
> 
> What do you think about today's chapter? Hosie interactions? Mysteries surrounding Josie and her reincarnations? Josie's blood changing color?Her childhood?
> 
> Comment your doubts and theories here!


	10. Cubes and Scape Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of the year!

#  Cubes and Scape Plans

When Josie entered her room at the Institute, she noticed something strange. Something weird under her pillow.

She moved closer, and the white object sharpened in her vision.

It was a lighter, a very specific white lighter.

Josie had countless memories of her red-haired best friend playing with that lighter's flame.

Griffin

Josie took the object and ran her thumb over the initials engraved on the object.

G.H. Gina Harrington, the boy's deceased mother.

He had found the object as a kid, taking it everywhere he went. A memory of his taken early mother.

"What is this doing here?"

"It seemed like a fair trade," A laughing voice said. Josie turned on her heels and met the boy's honey-colored eyes. "You with my lighter and I with the violin I gave you."

And it was true. Josie was clutching the lighter, and Griffin had the violin he'd given her a few years ago in hands, Josie's favorite.

"How...?"

He shrugged, as if it were nothing. "You're using an extremely strong cloaking spell, and it seems to have something besides it protecting you. My dad tried to figure out where you are through your sister, but it wasn't enough." He walked to the window, "But we also have a connection, I managed to sneak into your room at Parker Manor in Chicago to pick up your violin. I found a spell in the grimoire, something that made it possible to send a small object to your location, although I I didn't know where you were. And then I charmed my lighter so that it would  _ link _ to the violin and  _ voila _ ! "

Josie's jaw dropped, she ran to try to hug her friend, but went straight through. Griffin smiled sadly.

"This is just a projection, Jo. I'm not really here."

"I miss you." The Siphon whispered.

"Me too, but my father is witch hunting you like a mad man. Strange things are happening, no one has seen the Elders for weeks!"

The brunette told what happened that night, from the runes and Kai, to Conrad's sacrifices. The boy glared angrily at his feet when he heard about his father.

"I can't tell you where and with who I am, it's too risky for now." Josie said,sadly.

"I saw something strange yesterday, something that might be connected to the sacrifices my father made." He stepped closer, his honey eyes gleaming with the moonlight, "I went looking for him in the office, but he was talking to someone. The door was ajar, so I could hear everything and see what was going on. "

"He was talking to a woman, he seemed nervous. She said the sacrifices were helping, but they needed more power, my dad said something about a necklace you were wearing the night you ran away."

Josie grabbed Kai's talisman,resting between her breast and covered by her shirt.

"My father said you had run away, and the woman said to bring you back, dead if need be. But then, Conrad, when he was talking about you, said you were a siphon and the woman's behavior changed."

"W-What do you mean?" Josie asked.

"She looked desperate for a moment,but recovered her posture quickly, and said you were important, that she needed you alive." Griffin continued.

"Do you know why? The reason?"

Griffin denied, "But the most hideous thing is that until then I had only seen her profile through the crack in the door. When she turned around, her body ..." Griffin swallowed hard.

"What?"

"The other half of her body seemed to be decomposing, like a corpse."

Josie stepped back, "Griffin... what was her name?" He swallowed, "The name, Griffin!" She almost shouted.

"My father called her Hela."

Josie sat on the bed, her eyes bleak. She seemed to have lost her strength.

"Look Josie," Griffin approached, "I don't know what's going on, but I had to warn you something. Lizzie is in danger."

The girl's posture tensed.

"My dad's been trying to get into her mind all day, trying to reach you."

Something made sense in Josie's mind, the recent non-stop headaches coming from Lizzie. They were weak pains for Josie because she still had the protection rune, but it must be extremely painful for Lizzie if they could make an effect on the brunette.

Josie felt the guilt arise, her sister was being tortured while she enjoyed the day in the company of friends.

"We need to get her out of Chicago. We'll talk again tomorrow at the same time, I'll probably already have a plan."

"We won't just make it to both of them, my dad's henchmen are all over the place. Conrad has kept her at my house, even though she goes to school sometimes."

"I won't be alone, Griff. What happened to my mother? She would never allow them to do something like this to Lizzie."

_ 'With you,yes.' _ The annoying voice in the back of her mind whispered to the girl.

"She's weird, I saw her a few days ago with my dad and this time she's been acting weird. She's still the Coven leader, but it looks like Conrad is controlling things now."

Josie frowned, "We'll talk tomorrow."

•••

Josie dreamed she was in Conrad's secret room again, watching the ritual. But this time it was Lizzie who was there.

She saw everything, unable to do anything, Conrad slashing her sister's throat, watching the blood run down the white marble altar. And then impale the blonde on the deer antlers.

She woke up screaming again. So loud and deafening that Hope and Jennie broke into the bedroom door using magic.

•••

"You are not going back there!" Kol growled.

"My sister is in danger!"

"I don't care, you won't set foot outside New Orleans and period!"

Josie shook her head, "Family is always and forever, Kol." She moved closer, "You taught me that."

"She is right." Davina said. "But we go together."

"You say you had a plan?" Freya arched her blond eyebrow.

Josie set Kai's grimoire on the table in Davina's house and opened it on one page.

"This is a type of portal, made of runes. It can lead us to another one like this, but only I can activate it on and off. The process is instantaneous, several people and a quick escape. Griffin will make a of this in the woods behind the property, and I one here. " She pulled her bangs out of her eyes, "Lizzie arrives from school at six on Thursdays because of practice. It would be easier if he could do the portal at school, but he told me something interesting."

"What?" Davina asked, Kol was still a little sulky by her side, but he listened attentively.

"Conrad is still making the sacrifices, and he's using a new artifact. You know that more and more I retrieve old memories, dreaming or awake. And something caught my eye, for what he told me, it seems to be the same artifact Conrad has in his possession."

"Do you think it is be important from your past lives?"

Josie nodded.

"How is this artifact?"

The brunette focused on the memories and bit the inside of her cheek, "It's a Cube, black with golden details, runes. When you hold it in a certain way, the Cube unlocks a piece..." She shrugged,"I don't have the right words to explain what I saw,it's a bit confusing."

Josie hadn't told the adults about Hela,either.

Lizzie was the priority now.

"Griffin said the artifact is in an enchanted vault at Conrad's office. Tonight, there will be an important meeting with the elders at my old house. When we go through the portal and arrive in Chicago, Lizzie will be at the basement of Griff's house. Kol will bring her back here. "

The original rolled his eyes.

Josie continued, "There will probably be some warlocks in the house, but few. Freya and Davina will end them no matter how, while Griff and I will go to the office. He told me that the safe is bewitched, but I have a perfect 'opening rune'." to use.

After I get the Cube, we'll go back to the portal. The houses in the neighborhood are a bit far, but we still have to be careful not to get attention, we don't want the rest of the Coven against us. "

"Simple as that, huh?" Kol muttered.

"Exactly."

"Good," Freya exhaled and leaned against the wood of the table, "I think you'll miss class today."

"I'll call Hayley." Said Davina.

"And I will teach you other offensive spells." The Mikaelson witch said.

"I think I'll take care of the hell-cat,then." Kol pointed at Asmund, who was trying to bite his heel.

•••

It was already night when Josie had just designed the portal in the grass a few meters from Freya's house, with the witch's help.

Everyone was ready, Griffin had reported that everyone had already gone to the meeting at Parker Mansion, and that there were only a few wizards in his house taking care of Lizzie. Kai was not around, had wished her good luck earlier, but said he did not want to distract the brunette, and would be available if needed.

The portal consisted of two circles, and between them were the 'travel' runes, and a triangle in the middle, where Josie would make the last rune, which looked like the letter 'E' with some additional strokes. It was hard to make,the runes were almost too advanced to the Siphon.

"Ready?" She asked and everyone nodded. Heart pounding, Josie drew the rune with Stele, the entire portal glowed with a reddish light and everyone went inside the circle.

The trip was instantaneous, but everyone got a feeling in their stomach, that of free falling.

Griffin was waiting for them in the woods, and when Josie saw her friend she ran into his arms.

"I missed you." She murmured.

"Me too, Jo." He said in her ear. When Griffin pulled away, he looked down the girl's body and frowned. "What marks are these on your arms?"

Josie frowned, "I'll explain later."

They didn't spend much time on presentations, Griff just knew they were reliable. When Josie looked around and realized they were in the woods not far from the mansion, her stomach tightened, remembering how she had run desperately through the same woods long ago.

"Lizzie is in the basement, my father will try again to get into her head when he arrives." He said.

The group went through the back door, Kol twisting the neck of one of the wizards they encountered while Freya took care of the other. Griffin gasped as he heard the crack of the necks breaking, but Josie didn't even move.

They hurried down the stairs, and Davina gasped when she saw the basement.

"They are cells." She said.

Josie bit the inside of her cheek hard, anger rising when she saw that her sister was in one of them.

"Let's go." She rushed them.

Lizzie was in one of the lasts, sitting huddled on the cold floor. She looked thinner than the last time Josie had seen her at school, her face was between her legs.

Josie leaned against the bars, her thin fingers gripping the cold metal. "Lizzie..."

The blonde whimpered and cringed even more, muttering something.

"  _ No, no, no, not again, _ " She said,over and over.

Josie wanted to cry, but she took the Stele out of her jeans pocket and put it in front of the lock.

Runes worked in different ways, but what they had in common was how they reacted and how much it was related to Josie's feelings and willpower. While carving the rune, the brunette had frantic thoughts.

_ Open it. Open it. Open it. Open it. OPEN IT. _

The iron bars were butchered and made a horrible noise as they buckled and detached from the walls, but the Siphon girl didn't care. She ran to her sister.

"Lizzie, I'm here."

The blonde finally looked up. Her chin quivered and she looked exhausted, but she gripped her twin's jaw tightly. There were thick iron handcuffs on her wrists that jingled as she moved, bewitched iron that burned witches when they tried to do magic, so Elizabeth couldn't escape.

"J-Josie ..." The blue eyes were incredulous and reddened.

The brunette helped the Parker get up. "Kol, take her to the portal, quick. When you get home, we'll take these handcuffs from her."

The vampire nodded, picked up her sister and used his speed to get out of the house.

"There are seven more warlocks in the house, all near the entrance." Griffin said, still amazed at what his friend had done at the cell door.

"Freya and Davina will take care of them while we go to your father's office." Josie spoke the plan and turned to the two women, "When they're done, go to the portal, it won't work for long."

"What-no!" Davina objected.

Josie stepped closer and grabbed the Claire's hand. "I'll be right behind, but I can re-activate the portal again if it closes, you don't."

Davina pursed her lips in a thin line, Freya didn't seem to have liked the idea either.

"I'll be fine. I just don't know how long it will take for me to get the Cube." She reassured them both, brown eyes conforting.

"Okay." Davina said and the two witches climbed the stairs.

The group parted in the kitchen, Josie and Griffin going up to the second floor.

"They are taking care of you." The copper-haired boy said.

"They are."

They were halfway down the hall when they met a wizard, one Josie would recognize from anywhere. Benjamin Andrews was one of those who bothered her most, calling her a sociopath and a hindrance at every opportunity.

Josie gritted her teeth. He had slapped her once.

She reacted before he noticed.

“  _ Motus! _ ” He dropped to his knees so hard that Josie heard a  _ crack _ . “  _ Li _ _ hednat Dolchitni. _ ” Josie reached out and the man began to choke.

It was not enough.

The addictive rush feeling she felt as she siphoned the magic of the talisman made her heart race. Without realizing it, Josie's mind was slowly being swallowed by the darkness she was trying to control, with only one goal in mind.

_ Make him scream. _

“  _ Phasmatos novaro pulses sanguinox. _ ” The man's skin began to bubble, his blood turning to acid with the spell Josie repeated over and over,louder and louder.

The brunette approached, looking with such disdain and scorn at Andrews that Griffin cringed in horror. The corner of Josie's lips curved up slightly as she saw the man's eyeballs begin to melt before he finally gave up and fell to his side, dead.

Josie's outstretched arm dropped slowly, the brunette feeling like she could breathe again.

She glanced over her shoulder at a terrified Griffin, "Shall we?"

The pair entered the office, Griffin started searching for the safe, and Josie ran to the window. She let out a relieved breath when saw Freya and Davina running through the woods toward the portal.

A noise caught her attention, she turned to see Griffin pushing one of the shelves, slowly giving sight to a wall-mounted safe.

"I saw him locking the Cube here!"

Josie approached, Stele firmly in hand. She made the opening rune again on the vault's metal door, and the result was immediate. The brunette held her breath, anticipating the sight of the Cube.

"W-what?" The boy muttered.

Josie shook her head, "It's not here." She walked away, running her hands through brown locks.

"I saw it! I swear!"

Josie stopped and took a deep breath, "I know, I trust you. But Conrad has moved it." Started to scan the office.

_ 'But where would Conrad store this Cube?' _ ,thought.

Until her brown eyes stopped on the painting of Dante's 'Inferno' behind the desk. Josie swallowed, but walked to the table. Left hand positioned itself over the statue of Hecate, paused for a few seconds, and pulled the statue out.

The passage opened with a sound that made Josie want to escape.

"It's there." She said and turned to her friend.

"We do not have much time."

They descended the spiral staircase illuminated by the magical flame in the hands of the siphon. If Josie concentrated, she swore she could hear the same voices singing the melody like the last time she was here.

When they reached the mezzanine, Josie saw the brilliant gold of the Cube that was positioned on a small pillar on the marble altar, the same as the sacrifices.

They ran down the stairs, nearly falling to the altar.

Josie smiled with relief.

"This seems to be my lucky night." A voice boomed.

Josie tensed and stopped breathing. She looked up from the Golden Cube and saw the man who haunted her dreams.

Conrad

And that's when it all went wrong.

Griffin took a step closer to Josie.

"Dad-" The boy tried, but with a wave of his arm, Conrad used telekinesis to throw his son around the room. Griffin hit the wall with a sickening sound and fell unconscious.

Josie was paralyzed, fear rising up her spine. Images of him sacrificing those girls in mind.

"You know," he began. "I  _ knew _ the boy would find a way to find you. He always had that obsession with you. I just had to be patient and wait for him to bring you to me." He started walking toward her, hands outstretched. "  _ Phasmatos Tribum. _ "

A bolt of purple light came toward her, but thanks to the agility rune she had done earlier in her lower back, Josie could easily deflect the spell that would inhibit her powers.

And that's when Josie woke up from fear.

_ "Silencio! Motus!" _ She shouted. The lilac stone of the talisman gleamed in her chest.

Harington's mouth disappeared and he dropped to his knees on the floor. Josie saw the anger flash in his blue eyes and he raised his hands to try a silent spell.

_ "Chores to orenser!" _ Lines of rope appeared in Conrad's hands, holding his wrists behind the back.

Josie walked to the immobilized man and stopped in front of him It was seconds later that she regretted underestimating him, for one of the ancient swords of the artifacts that were attached to the walls flew toward her with the certain aim.

Josie didn't move, and before the sword touched her, the blade changed direction, an invisible force protecting her.

Conrad widened his eyes in disbelief. And when Josie reached out, he saw the runes drawn by the skin.

"You know what, Conrad. One of the things I've always noticed about you is how much you're obsessed with power," Josie wrapped her hands tightly around the wizard's neck, which began to struggle in vain. "You yearn for more magic." The siphon seemed to have an idea as her eyes took on a dangerous glow. "I bet you'll  _ love _ the feeling of your magic being striped of you." She undid the 'Silencio' spell and Conrad's mouth returned.

Josie's hands began to glow red, illuminating her own face, and she felt again the alien magic coursing through her body to her soul, feeding a hunger she didn't know existed. He screamed in agony, tears falling from his eyes.

Josie was slowly losing control, not caring about anything else. A sigh left her lips as she felt every wave of magic leave the man's body and reach hers. In the back of Josie's mind, the certainty that if she siphoned too much until his core was completely exhausted, Conrad would be in danger of never regaining the magic again.

She smiled at the idea.

It was almost there, she could feel her mind clouded with energy and power, she was almost at the bottom of his magic well.

It was the best feeling she ever had in her sixteen years.

Conrad had stopped screaming, he was too weak. Skin was slowly changing, getting more puckered,lips blue.

In the fog,Josie wondered if she could kill someone like this. And it made her hands shine brighter.

"J-Josie?"

Griffin's faint whisper seemed to break the spell, and she took her hands off of Conrad's neck.

The boy was on the floor, his trembling arms trying to hold his weight and lift his torso. He had tears running down reddened cheek.

He was looking at Josie as if he saw a stranger.

The girl turned away from Conrad as if he was burning, and the man fell to the marble floor of the altar. Josie's fingers sparked at the amount of accumulated magic, the innumerable candles in the room flaming three times the size.

Josie recalled a memory a few months before she fled to New Orleans, where she had asked her friend if he believed she would be able to kill someone after other Coven members had compared Josie to Kai.

_ "You would never do that, Josie. At least not on purpose. If there's anything I admire about you, it's your morals." _ Griffin had answered with a tender smile on his face.

Josie was no longer that girl. And he was seeing it now.

She felt a little bad for breaking Griffin's image of her.

The teen glanced quickly at Conrad, and when she was sure he was out, ran toward the Cube.

Josie reached out tentatively, and nothing happened, there was no protective barrier around it. The index finger touched the cold gold runes, and she felt the ancient energy of the object. A yellow-ish light appeared as Josie touched the artifact, and an image of herself holding the Cube in another life flashed in her mind. The siphon still didn't know what exactly the artifact did, but Josie wouldn't wait for Conrad to wake up to find out.

She took the Cube off the pillar and ran for the stairs. When Josie reached the mezzanine,she saw that Griffin had passed out again.

"I'm sorry." The teenager muttered as she checked to see if the Stele was really in her jeans pocket, before heading for the spiral stairs without looking back.

When she reached the office door, she jumped over Andrews's fallen body, the sole of Josie's shoes dirty with the wizard's blood leaving marks on the house. Passed other Coven members, men and women guarding the house, who Freya and Davina did a good job of putting to sleep.

She ran,panting through the woods, the agility rune slowly disappearing. Branches and leaves were crushed by the boots the girl wore, and the occasional sounds of the resident animals was an accompanying symphony.

Josie reached the deactivated portal, and still holding the Cube tightly with her right hand, took Stele from her pocket and carved the rune in the middle of the portal with her left, the leaves sparkling as they touched the heated end of the red crystal.

She was back at Freya's house in seconds.

The couple was there, waiting for her. Davina squeezed Josie in his arms, and was soon joined by Kol, their concern gradually fading.

Josie relaxed into the hug, finally feeling that she had escaped the danger.

"I am fine." Josie said, also relieved that no one was seriously injured. The Claire witch had a little cut on her cheek, but that seemed to be all. "Where is Lizzie?"

"Freya is taking care of her, trying to remove the handcuffs."

Josie nodded, her hands still sparkling now and then with the accumulated magic. "I want to see her, and I have to put it somewhere safe." She raised the Cube for both of them to see.

"Looks familiar to me." The vampire said, and scratched his unshaven beard, "I think with little research I can figure out what it is."

"I can help!" Josie was enthusiastic.

"None of that, you have school tomorrow." Davina interrupted them both.

Josie sighed tiredly, and considered using an energy rune, but decided not, it was late and she wanted to rest before classes in a few hours.

Kol put his arm around their shoulders, "Come on in, Lizzie and Freya are waiting for us."

Josie smiled with relief, her sister was back, and even though they weren't as close as when they where children, she still enjoyed that happy feeling in her chest.

She wanted to forget what she had done moments before.

•••

The woman walked slowly along the marble floor, her straight posture and expressionless face would cause shivers at anyone who dared to look. Hair graced with the color of night fell down her right side, and the green-to-blue dress trailed behind her.

She stopped in front of the body of the waking man. He opened his eyes and blinked repeatedly as he saw the hem of her dress, his vision slowly normalizing. When he realized who she was and the smell of decay entering his nostrils, Conrad did his best to try to kneel.

The attempts were not enough, and the woman held out her left hand, black bones poking out of the green flesh that was tearing apart. Conrad was raised to his feet by the magic of the woman, no,  _ Goddess _ , who looked at him as if he were less than the larvae that inhabited the dead bodies.

"You failed." She said. Her only eye on the right side was totally black, and when she moved her jaw to speak, the dead muscles of her left cheek moved,disturbingly.

"M-My Goddess, m-mercy-"

"Your words won't bring me anything but irritation, Conrad. I gave you a mission, a simple task: Bring the girl to me. And you not only failed, but you let her escape with something valuable."

He couldn't say anything, felt the void in his core without magic, and lowered his face in subordination.

"You seem to forget that you're just a pawn in the Gods game, Harrington." She practically spit out his name, and he felt his cheek burn with the acid from the splashes. "  _ She _ is the valuable piece, not you."

Hela studied the warlock for a few seconds, "Your sacrifices are no longer enough for my Father."

Conrad felt a chill in his stomach and whimpered.

"But we still need your flesh, your mortal body. However," She lifted his chin with her rotting hand, and he wanted to squirm at the disgusting smell. "Your errors will not be forgotten." She slowly turned her head to Griffin, who was still unconscious.

"Take the boy!" He exclaimed desperately, "Whatever you want, my Goddess. But I beg you! Give me back my magic, so that I may be more beneficial and useful to my Lady."

Hela didn't seem to care about the plea, walked away and Conrad fell back to the icy ground. She walked over to the sleeping boy and analyzed him.

"Perhaps you don't deserve your power, Conrad." She said blasé, but the cruelty was implicit in her tone.

And disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving both of them behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter of the year! Happy 2020
> 
> Lizzie is back !! What did you think about Hela's first appearance?
> 
> There was Dark Josie in this chapter and there will be a lot more coming, including an important moment with Kai.
> 
> What are your theories for what will happen?
> 
> See you in a few days! ☆


	11. Mary,Nornirr and Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back at it again!

#  Mary, Nornnir and Tears

Mary adjusted the hem of her dress, even if she didn't have to, for the Old Nan and the maids had taken care of everything in advance.

Lord Klaus, who was by his side, leaned in to whisper. "Feeling anxious?"

Mary licked her painted lips, "Just the grief for my lonely afternoons."

According to her father's messenger, the Karnstein twins had already crossed the property's boundaries and would arrive at any moment. Klaus, Mary, and the elite servants stood at the castle gates, lined with Mary and Klaus in the middle with a space between them for the girl's father.

Sebastian and Carmilla Karnstein.

Her fiancé and future sister by the bonds of marriage.

Mary wanted to make a face, her later free afternoons were over.

And her marriage would be in less than two months.

Darrel Campbell, Mary's father, joined them moments before the carriage entered the gates, following the gravel path surrounded by the countless flowers that were about to bloom.

"Remember to behave, Mary." He said to the girl, he knew the daughter he has.

"Yes, my father." The brunette was barely able to hold the roll of her eyes.

The green carriage with gold trim stopped at the end of the staircase in front of the court, one of the guards descending to open the door and bowing a little.

Sebastian was the first one down. Her hair was dark as night, which accentuated the pale skin. His chin was thin, as was his aristocratic nose, his eyebrows accentuated his blue eyes. The clothes with fine fabrics were the same colors as the carriage. Mary decided they should be the colors of the family. She looked at the medium size flag on the carriage's mast, the emblem of a golden heart surrounded by green thorns.

He reached for the open door, and a gloved hand with black lace came out of the carriage's darkness. The figure that followed was that of a lady, her curly black hair with a small elegant hat on top, which had a small veil making it difficult to see the upper half of her face. Mary leaned forward slightly, but could only see the girl's thin chin and the tip of a nose. Her lips were painted, but not a rosy color like Mary's, Carmilla's bordered a crimson tone.

They climbed the stairs side by side, Sebastian had Carmilla's arm around hers, and the black dress with gold trim trailed down the steps.

When they came face to face with the cohort, everyone bowed, including the siblings.

"Welcome to Scotland," Darrel announced, and Sebastian stepped forward to greet the Lord.

"It is an immense pleasure, mine and my dear sister's, to finally know your home."

Mary's father greeted Carmilla, taking her gloved hand to leave a chaste kiss.

"Lady Carmilla."

"Lord Campbell." She said.

Sebastian stepped aside, taking in the sight of Mary. The Austrian bowed and Mary made a courtesy, soon extending her right hand to the man, who took it and left a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

"Lady Mary," he began, a tender smile on his face that made Mary want to smile too. "It's a pleasure to finally have my vision graced by the woman I will share the rest of my days with."

Mary felt her cheeks flush and saw Klaus compress his lips to contain a snicker.

"The pleasure is all mine, my Lord." She gave a kind, true smile. He had made a good first impression.

And then the girl stepped in front of her and Mary could finally see her features. Instinctively, she wanted to breathe in but held back the reflex. Carmilla's eyes were not blue like her twin's, they were dark, black, sharp, and feline, which scanned Mary up and down as they lowered themselves in a courtesy to ladies.

The corner of her red lips curved without showing her teeth in a restrained smile, a glint of something Mary couldn't distinguish seemed in her eyes. "Lady Mary." She said, her tone was not loud, and her voice came as a purr.

If the Scottish witch's cheeks were already pink, they turned red.

Mary refused to think why.

•••

Scotland 1512

My Confidant,

The twins arrived a fortnight ago, and their presence is not what I found myself imagining to be

.

Sebastian and I became great friends, we realized early on that we can't escape this waiting marriage, so we bonded about it, realizing that a friendship would make this commitment healthier than an enmity. Each day we discover more about each other, always laughing at the man's acid humor, and we have the same love for archery.

We practice on the northern hill whenever we have no obligations, Carmilla always accompanies us.

Carmilla is still a mystery to me. We are also close, but everything with her seems to be different than with her brother. She tells me about her life in Austria, but I still feel that I haven't come close to risking the surface of her personality.

She always looks at me with that pretentious smile on her lips, and when I look into her brown orbs, I can see the secrets hidden by the dark ocean of her irises.

Both are aware of my condition, know that I am a witch and a Siphon, the Karnstein clan also has magic in their blood, Carmilla is one of them.

But still, I can never say what she is thinking, her expression is always serene, superb or - rarely have I been able to witness in our conversations - mischievous.

Changing the subject, my dreams keep going, I've been getting worse and worse. Flashes of me in strange clothes, blood, and the clash of swords along with the sound of thunder.

I don't know what they mean, but the whispers in my eardrums keep getting louder and louder.

•••

It was a rainy day, and since Mary couldn't ride, she took solace in the grimoire, enjoying the silence and the company of Klaus.

Her long hair the same color as the bears' coat her father had killed on countless hunts was tied by a braid that Lady Karnstein had made early in the morning. Mary was content to read one of the new potion books that had arrived by the merchant.

The rain was pounding hard against the glass pane, and Klaus finally spoke to her after a rumble of thunder.

"Want to hear a story?" He said, blue eyes twinkling.

Mary closed the grimoire, before marking the page with the red silk ribbon attached to the spine of the book. "You intrigued me, dear Lord."

"It's an old one, from when I was a boy. My father spent hours telling these stories to my brothers, and they told me."

Mary left the table where she was, took the gold chandelier and headed for the empty armchair next to the vampire, both now sitting in front of the huge window, bathed in the occasional glow of flashes of lightning.

"It's the tale of an ancient mythology, I come from a Viking family." He confided to the girl.

The witch's eyes flashed, "Do you speak the truth?"

The man agreed with a smile growing on his face, "I wouldn't dare lie to you."

"Tell me, my lord." Mary straightened the fabrics of her dress. "Tell me your story."

"It's called 'Fenrir's Chaining,'" he began, "It all starts with the pseudo-god Loki."

Mary swallowed, her stomach twisted, and she was confused by the strange reaction at the name, but she didn't hold on to those thoughts.

"Loki is as friendly as the enemy of the gods, and had three frighteningly heinous and mighty children with the giant Angrboda. The first was the serpent Jormungand. The second was the goddess of death, Hela, who reigns in the underworld of Helheim. The third was the wolf, Fenrir. "

"Fenrir." Mary whispered the name.

"The gods were concerned about the fate of these three beings. And they were absolutely correct, for Jormungand would later kill the god Thor in a battle of the Ragnarok, the fall of the cosmos, an event that will be greatly influenced by Hela, who will refuse to obey the gods. Fenrir would devour Odin, the chief of the gods. "

Mary had wide brown eyes, imagining every moment in her mind.

"For the purpose of controlling these monsters, they threw Jormungand into the ocean, where he grew so large that he circles Midgard, the human world, entirely, biting his tail."

"Hela, they sent to the underworld, Helheim. Fenrir, however, inspired much fear in the gods to keep him out of guard, so they raised the pup in Asgard. Only Tyr, god of honor and law, dared to approach Fenrir to feed him. "

Fenrir grew alarmingly fast, and soon the gods decided that his stay in Asgard had to be temporary. Knowing the devastation he would cause if allowed to roam freely, the gods tried to arrest him with countless chains to test his strength, they cheered and clapped when, with every chain that bound him, he broke free. "

"What did the gods do, then?" The lady asked anxiously.

Klaus approached the girl, the candlelight lighting making every detail more dramatic. "They sent a messenger to Svartalfheim, the dwarves realm."

"Like, little men?"

"Yes, yes. They are the most skilled craftsmen in the cosmos, and they forged a chain whose strength could not be matched; it was created by the sound of a cat's footsteps, a woman's beard, the roots of the mountains, the breath of a fish and a bird's saliva - in other words, things that do not exist and against which it is, therefore, futile to fight. "

"That was incredibly smart of them, don't you think?"

The vampire nodded, a smile on his face. "The chain name is Gleipnir, it means 'open'."

"How curious!"

"When the pantheon of gods presented Fenrir with the brilliant and strong Gleipnir, the wolf distrusted them and refused to be arrested by it unless one of the gods placed their hand on his jaw as a pledge in good faith.

None of the gods accepted, knowing that it would mean losing a hand. All but the brave Tyr, who volunteered. And surely when Fenrir discovered that he could not escape Gleipnir, he chomped and swallowed Tyr's hand. "

Mary flinched away, "My God!" Candlelight flared in his eyes.

"The beast was then transported to a desolate place. The chain was tied to a stone and a sword was placed in the jaws of the wolf to keep them open. As it howled wildly and incessantly, a foamy river called  _ Ván _ , which translates to 'expectation' flowed from his drooling mouth. "

The Campbell lady scowled in disgust at the scenario.

"And there, in that nasty state, he remained - until  _ Ragnarok _ ." Klaus finished.

"And when will Ragnarok happen?"

The original vampire smiled at the girl, he liked Mary's cunning questions.

"That's a story for another time, dear lady."

"Did you believe the tales, Niklaus?" Mary asked, her lip locked between her teeth. "At least as a child? I imagine you've had so many different experiences and cultures all these years, but can you still believe it?"

The man was taken aback by the question and had to think for a few moments. "As a child, I believed in myths, in gods. But we are in another age, with other beliefs."

"You haven't answered everything yet, my lord."

"I think faith makes them real." That's what Klaus answered.

And that had left Mary thoughtful.

•••

The arrow buzzed through the air until it hit the target, sure. Mary lowered the bow and looked at Sebastian.

"Your turn, my lord." Said with a funny little smile.

Sebastian shook his head, causing a few strands of dark hair to fall into his eyes. "I have already made my peace that my bow skills are infinitely inferior to yours, dear Mary, no matter how many medals I've won at Austrian festivals."

Mary approached her groom, straightening her messy hair back. "Your flattering words will get you nowhere."

Sebastian smiled like a summer boy and his clear eyes twinkled, like this, he didn't seem to be the man of eight and ten.

Mary loved that about him, how behind his serious features when he was in the company of his duties, he was still a boy at heart.

"A thousand apologies," Carmilla interrupted the two of them as she arrived on the hill, her dark eyes bringing that hint of malice and the grin of sharp canines. "But I'm afraid your time with Mary has come to an end."

Sebastian fixed his stance behind Mary and shot his sister an amused look. "And who, please tell, dares to rob me of precious mementos with my future wife?"

"Come on, dear brother, sharing was one of the first values we learned as children! Mary, as my lord said, is your  _ future _ wife; you don't have to take all the girl's time." Lady Karnstein approached to intertwine her arm with the Scottish, "She deserves female companionship, especially to complain about her future husband."

Mary put a gloved hand over her lips to hide her smile.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, "You wound me with your words, sister. But I will leave you both alone to discuss your feminine affairs, I have tasks waiting for me in my chambers."

Carmilla stepped in front of Mary. "You have not yet shown me the gardens of which you speak so much."

•••

"Tell me more about yourself, Mary," Carmilla asked as they walked through the flower aisles.

"I've confided to you so many things..."

"You never told me about your family. I have so many relatives in Austria that sometimes I don't remember their names!"

"Oh, well ..." Mary frowned to concentrate, remembering to hold the hem of her dress once in a while so as not to trip. "I have a few cousins around, Robb is the one I have the most affinity for and we always exchange letters, but he's training to fight at the border, so I haven't spoken to him lately. But I know he'll be coming to the wedding."

Mary bit her lip, she never had a lady friend like Carmilla and wondered if she could take this chance to talk about her thoughts.

Decided so.

"It was always more of me and my father. We were close when I was a little girl, but when I grew up and became a woman he saw that he couldn't help me with everything, that I needed a female presence."

"Your mother-"

"She died in childbirth. It was a sadness for everyone in the area, she was very dear." Mary bent down and picked a daffodil that was about to bloom, "He made this garden in her memory, with her favorite flowers."

Karnstein gave her a tender smile, "That's a loving gesture on his part."

"He tried to get married, but no woman really attracted him. So I grew up with the Old Nan and maids and the Nannies who taught me almost everything I know. I've had a lot of tutors, magics and commoners."

And then Mary smiled. "And I learned to use a sword, hidden from my father."

Carmilla's eyes widened, "Really?"

Mary laughed at the girl's enthusiasm, "Yes! He got mad at first, but then he agreed that I would not give up and trained myself."

"You're lucky, my father would never allow that." She sighed. "It's one of the few times I've wished I was born a man."

And then she got her face close to Mary's, so quickly and sneakily that the brunette was almost scared.

"But then I remember the advantages of a woman, and I forget about those thoughts."

•••

One of the classes in the morning was Gaelic, and Hope was there.

So when Josie saw that the tables were for two people, she sat down with the only person she had an affinity for.

The Tribrid smiled as she watched the brunette set her materials on the table.

"I didn't see you around yesterday."

Josie blinked repeatedly, "Oh, um ..." all the excuses crossed her mind and she decided to go with the closest truth, the first rule to lying well. "I was visiting my sister."

This took Hope by surprise, who straightened her head. "I didn't know you had a sister."

To tell the truth, Mikaelson knew almost nothing about the witch, and she frowned at that.

"Well, I'm living with Davina because our parents died in an accident not long ago." When Josie saw that the redhead was opening her mouth to speak what would probably be 'my condolences' she made a dismissive gesture with her hand. Hope suppressed the urge to smile as her ring was still there. "Lizzie decided to stay in Chicago with her godmother while I preferred a new place."

Hope shook her head slightly, showing that she understood, "Is Lizzie older?"

Josie began to write the notes on the board - which were magically written by a floating marker -, "No, I'm older for a few minutes."

"Are you twins?" Hope asked whispering, in her mind imagining two Josies.

"Fraternal," Josie's lips curved at the older girl's reaction, "We don't really look alike. I got from my mother's side and she from my father's."

Josie paused for a moment to think about her words, she had only ever seen Alaric Saltzman's photograph once in her life, but Elizabeth had the same blue eyes and blond hair.

"So you come from Chicago?"

An alarm blasted in Josie's mind, she had already leaked too much information.

She strayed from the subject by asking about something she didn't understand about the subject they were learning, and Hope explained - even better than the teacher - what was keeping her from moving on to the next topic.

As she did, Josie took advantage of the proximity to observe the Mikaelson's features, the copper-colored hair that glistened with the morning sun, the mazarine blue eyes that were soft and tender. Hope always walked with a superior pose, erect shoulders and raised chin, but now she looked lighter, a teenager, not the heiress of an empire.

Josie also became aware of the way Hope's eyes followed the strap of her dress that kept falling over her shoulder.

When class was over, the two of them talked down the halls until they had to break up, because they no longer had the same classes.

•••

It was lunchtime and Josie was not coping well with her anxiety. She had unleashed a lot of magic before bed at dawn, but he couldn't stop thinking about Conrad and what she had done. She had to remove Kai's talisman a few times in the morning, the magical energy around the school and the one coming from the necklace was creating a suffocating feeling.

Then, when the bell rang, she raced down the halls to the nearest snack machine - because she wasn't comfortable going to the cafeteria and having lunch - and then headed for the forest that covered part of the property.

Josie walked for a long time without worrying about anything. doing her best to calm her mind thinking of melodies and notes for a future composition, it has been a while since the last time she played the violin.

She stopped after finding the thick trunk of a fallen tree; it did not appear to be fresh fallen, for there were mushrooms and moss in some parts. She sat on the wood and looked around.

Josie took Kai's necklace from one of the pockets of the backpack and tied the chain around her wrist. The siphon man appeared in front of her.

"You don't look very well." It was the first thing he said.

And he was right. Josie had slumped shoulders, eyes that darted from place to place as if expecting something to leap toward her in an attack, fingers who wouldn't stop moving.

"Ah really? Thanks for letting me know." Sarcasm dripped on her words.

"What happened yesterday to let you like this?"

Josie snapped a finger, "I almost killed Conrad by siphoning him off."

"Oh ..." Kai's posture also changed and his eyes lost their amused glow. He sat next to his niece, and held out his hand, uncertainly, before giving up.

"Yeah. Oh."

"How was it?"

Josie's heels sank into the lawn, "Good enough to scare me."

"Good enough for me don't want to stop."

Malachai took a sharp breath, "That's one of the things I'm afraid of, Josie. Of you not being able to control yourself like I couldn't. That feeling is addictive, clouds our mind and takes us to a dark place."

"It wasn't the only thing I did yesterday. I found one of the men who abused me, and the only thing I thought was how much I wanted him to suffer." She sighed and threw her head back, watching the light rays struggling to pass through the treetops. "I acted without thinking, but I wanted to. I did a spell, one I had read in your grimoire, that makes the blood turn into—"

"Acid." He completed, he knew the spell well.

Josie shook her head, "I loved the screams, wanted to see him pay for the tears I shed in my childhood. I caught myself smiling when I saw his eyeballs melt and his blood stained my Allstar."

"Look, I know I have this dark part inside me, I know since I was a little girl. But I rarely surrender to it. Maybe it appeared because of the hatred and pain I feel for my mother because I thought her punishments were for my sake when they made me more and more like you. "

Kai didn't interrupt her. Josie always kept everything she felt inside, and now she was sharing little by little because she knew he was the only one who could understand.

"And always had that morbid curiosity." She dug her nails into her forearm. "I think it came from my other lives, because it was always in the back of my mind. There was this time when I was a kid in the middle of the night that Jo caught me in the kitchen with a knife in hands and my forearm bleeding. She was scared and asked me why I did that. I said I wanted to see how my muscles worked because of a black magic anatomy book I had found earlier. Lizzie woke up with the screams and was so terrified she didn't look at me for a week."

"So yes, I was never right in the head, I never had scruples and I had to learn how to act little by little." She crossed her arms, "And when I woke up this morning after dreaming of my memories, one of the first thoughts I had was to drown."

"What?" Kai squeaked.

"And it was so natural and innocent that I only realized it later!" She rose from the trunk and began to circle a tree, her yellow dress flowing. "And then I remembered the night that Davina and Kol found me and I practically had a fit and almost jumped off a bridge. And Adena, also drowned before Freya found me, and you know what? She jumped off a bridge! " Josie's voice got more and more altered. "I jumped off a bridge."

"I just have so much on my mind that I'm going crazy! I feel so agonized bout the fact that I don't know what's going to happen. I got Lizzie out of Chicago, but something is yet to come. I'm sure Conrad is nothing compared to Hela, and I don't even know what she wants with me! And there's still that damn Cube. "

And then she stopped, seeming to realize something.

"Holy shit!" She exclaimed and Kai was surprised because he knew Josie didn't like that kind of language. "Only now have I realized that gods exist. Norse gods, Kai."

Kai blinked, stunned. "My God." He had only realized that now that his niece had pointed it out.

"Gods." She corrected and then ran a hand over her face. "I need a mythology book." She walked, calmer, to the trunk. "And there is still Lizzie. We haven't talked yet, she's at Freya's house, we agree it's calmer there and New Orleans can be dangerous if they find out who she is. Some older witches are already suspicious of me for always being in Davina's company. "

"Freya may have already explained everything to her, but I'm still afraid to face her. I just wanted to know how to fix things between us." She played with the Mikey's watch that Lizzie had given her years ago.

"You need to give yourself a chance, Josie." Kai started, "I'm sure Lizzie wants this too, but you need to take the first step. Look, I don't know what you did as a child to create this space between the two, but I promise that if you talk, things will get better, at least a little. " He extended his arms to the brunette, who surrendered to the hug.

"Thanks for the advice, Kai, and for listening to me."

She still didn't completely trust her uncle, and she hadn't forgotten that he killed the father she had never met. But Kai was the only person who could understand at this point, and she was grateful to have found the necklace and grimoire at the manor's library.

•••

Josie was climbing the steps of the main entrance while chewing a cereal bar from the vending machine, it was the end of the lunch period.

"I hope this isn't your only sustenance for the day." A female voice said.

The teenager turned and her brown eyes received the sight of Hayley.

"Headmistress Marshall." Josie greeted. "And no, I already ate my lunch." She lied with a simple smile on her face. She liked the woman.

"I hope you're feeling better. When Davina communicated that you would spend the day at home because you weren't feeling well, I worried."

Ah, so that was Davina's excuse for her missing class the day before. Josie was regretting telling Hope about her twin sister.

"I'm much better, Headmistress. It was just a bad stomach, nothing that some herbs and Davina's food wouldn't solve."

The hybrid smiled at the student's words.

"There's just one other thing I wanted to tell you." Hayley started. "Klaus Mikaelson, the other principal, will be back from his trip in a few days, four at most. He always talks to the new students, and you were the only one who joined last month, so don't be surprised when you get an office call. "

Josie swallowed.  _ 'How likely is he to remember a girl he met five hundred years ago,' _ she thought.

She was not anxious to find out. It would surely be a mess if he remembered.

•••

It was the second time Josie had set foot in the Mikaelson Institute library. At the moment it was empty, the students probably in class. But there was no sign of a librarian either.

She wandered aimlessly around the shelves, trying to reach a wing that looked like mythology. After a while, she heard a small noise, who seemed electronic.

Like a game.

Following the sound, Josie found the source between two shelves. In a bay window was a boy. He had his torso lying on the padded part of the window, but his legs were up, resting on the edge of the large window. The boy had curly hair, and what looked like a Nintendo Switch on hands; his face was contorted in concentration.

Josie giggled, and that seemed to catch the attention of the teenager, who looked wide-eyed, he tried to get up quickly, but he seemed to be clumsy and would have fallen to the ground had it not been for the Parker's quick reflexes.

The boy recovered his posture and stepped back, tried to cover his reddened face with a cough, and then held out his hand.

"I'm Landon."

Josie did the same, "Shouldn't you be in class now, Landon?"

"Uh, not really. I just attend regular classes." He commented distractedly. "Wait! Aren't you supposed to be in class now? If I'm not mistaken, you're the new witch." And then he glanced at Josie's ring, "Oh, it's true, you're even wearing the ring!"

"Everyone talks about that damn ring, but to this day I don't know what it really means!"

Landon stuffed his hands in his jean pockets, "Everyone knows it has two meanings: protection and possession."

Josie blinked repeatedly, "Possession? I don't belong to her!"

He shrugged, "Every Mikaelson has a ring, and can choose to give it to someone who is theirs for protection."

The brunette remembered that Davina had a similar ring, and Hayley too.

Josie sighed and decided to go back to the original subject, "I have something more important to do than learn spells that I already know. And how do you only attend regular classes?"

Landon sat in the upholstered window, "I'm kind of the first of my kind, so I don't have my own electives yet. It's kind of the reason why I spend so much time in the library. At first wanted to try to figure out something that might help me, but it eventually became my refuge. " He gestured with his arm, showing the vastness of shelves.

He then explained to Josie the confusion that was last year at school, how Malivore sent monsters and that the only way to destroy him was Hope, who secretly activated her vampire side and threw her blood into the well.

Josie had heard rumblings about Malivore at some of her mother's Coven meetings, but she'd practically forgotten about it. She was surprised to find that this is how the Mikaelson girl became a full Tribrid, Josie would have to find out more of this story later.

"I know where most of the books are."

"And the librarian?"

Landon scowled, "The ninth-graders got a prank on her a few days ago, took bigger proportions than expected."

"Can you help me, then?" Josie put her hands behind her back.

Landon smiled at her, "Sure, what do you need?"

"A book on Nordic mythology."

The boy's greenish eyes practically twinkled, "I love Nordic mythology, I know almost everything about it."

He stood up and Josie followed him through the maze of books and shelves while he made some jokes about the books they had in common. Josie spent most of her time alone when in Chicago, and books, series, games, and her violin were her main form of entertainment.

Landon pulled a thick book off a shelf and set it on the table. The cover was thick and had the image of a large tree with a wolf on either side. On the branches at the top was an eagle with open wings, not far below it had two crows, and at the root, a dragon, in the middle of the trunk a squirrel, and circling the whole design was a snake, which bit the tip of its tail.

Josie supplied a grimace, she deeply disliked wolves.

The boy saw that Josie was taken by the drawing and explained what it meant, "It's Yggdrasill, the axis of the world. It is located in the center of the universe and connects the nine worlds. At its roots lives the dragon Nidhogg and in the highest branches, an unnamed eagle; Ratatoskr, the squirrel, carries insults from one to the other and back so that the eagle and the dragon will continue to hate each other. "

Josie ran her fingertips over the relief of the pattern and stopped at the two crows. "  _ Huginn _ and Muninn ."

"Your pronunciation is very good," Landon commented. "Some names are very difficult to pronounce."

Josie didn't know how to respond and let Landon continue.

"It's Odin's two helper spirits, he sends them flying through the nine worlds every morning, and when they come back at breakfast, they sit on his shoulders and tell all the gossip they've learned."

The siphon chuckled, imagining the scene.

"Why did you come looking for a book on mythology?" Landon asked, "If you have something specific in mind I can help you find it."

Josie didn't have to think too much of a false excuse, she lied very well. "I was watching a series when I saw someone talk about the Norns. I found it interesting and decided to come looking instead of going to a class where I already knew the subject."

Landon cocked his head to the side, "The Norns ..." And then he started leafing through the book, until stopping on one page. "Aha!"

Josie looked up, at the top was an image of three women sitting at the roots of a tree that the girl realized was Yggdrasill. The brunette began to read what was written on the rest of the sheet.

"In Nordic mythology, the Norns," Josie began, but  _ unknowingly _ pronounced the word in another way,  _ Nornnir _ , in Old Norse. "They are female beings who create and control destiny. This makes them the most powerful entities in the cosmos - even more so than the gods, since they are subject to destiny, like every other being."

Josie's voice slowly died out at the end of the paragraph. All she could think about was that she was visited by one of these  _ Nornnir _ , one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

"There are exactly three of them, and their names suggest their ability to construct the content of time: One is Urðr,  _ 'The Past,' _ the second is Verðandi,  _ 'What is currently coming to be', _ and the third is Skuld,  _ 'What will be '. _ "

"They live in a hall near the Urðarbrunnr well, the  _ 'Well of Destiny,' _ under Yggdrasill."

Landon leaned in next to Josie and began to read, "Here it says they create the most important destinies by carving runes on the wood of the great tree. Some warriors have even cried out and made offerings for the Norns to change their futures, but for them, Destiny is  _ 'blind and completely ruthless' _ . "

Josie swallowed hard.

_ 'Completely ruthless,' _ the ominous voice whispered in her ear and Josie refrained from looking back on her shoulders to see if there was anyone.

She eventually took the book to her room, but not without saying goodbye to her new friend and arranging a day to play a game marathon on Josie's new Nintendo Switch, which she used magic to clone Landon's.

•••

It was night, past curfew, and Josie couldn't read anything else from the book. Thoughts raced a thousand miles per hour and she could not fall asleep.

She was staring at the ceiling while twirling the Stele between her fingers — she'd already let her fall into her face at least twice — when Josie heard a _tap-tap_ on the window. She lifted his torso, and saw Asmund outside, using one of his horns (he was missing the collar that made him look like a normal cat) to hit the glass.

Josie smiled so wide that her cheeks hurt, she missed the cat that had been taking care of Lizzie while the brunette could not yet visit. She jumped out of bed, listening to the Stele roll on the wooden floor under the bed, and opened the window.

Asmund didn't come in, instead, meowing and nodding his head out.

Josie patted the cat's tabby fur, which eventually caused him to purr and be distracted, but soon seemed to regain his senses, shoving Josie's hand and making the same gesture.

The Parker frowned, "Want me to get out of here?"

Asmund's tail wagged voraciously.

"I'll take that as a yes." She mumbled and ran to change clothes and get a jacket, even though summer was near, evenings still had a cold wind. She crouched down to grab the Stele and made a 'lightness' rune on her palm that looked like a 'V'. Josie hissed as her skin burned to leave the sharp black traces of the crystal, new runes always hurt for the first time.

Josie positioned herself at the window's ledge and jumped to the second-floor roof. She almost slipped and used the crystal again in the dark to make her faithful agility mark on the back of the same hand before jumping to the floor.

The brunette smiled as Asmund jumped beside her, and took the first step.

"Is that a cat?"

Josie tensed and quickly hid the Stele in the sleeve of her coat. She turned and ran into a Hope Mikaelson leaning against one of the school's walls.

Even if it was at night, the familiar's demonic characteristics were still obvious and apparent.

"Uhm... sort off?" The brunette hated how her voice tuned high pitched. "You've met him before."

The redhead blinked, "Asmund? Well, if I didn't thought this cat was too hellish to be normal."

The familiar seemed offended as he circled Josie's leg and hissed his fangs at the Tribrid.

"He's not that bad."

The redhead stepped away from the wall and pointed to the cat, "He barely let me get close to you!"

His tail curled around the siphon's heel and she gave Hope a shy smile.

"And where are you going at this hour?"

Josie frowned in irritation, suddenly remembering the ring situation. She scrunched her eyes, hurriedly removed the jewel from her finger and threw it with a sharp aim in Hope's direction.

The older one grabbed the ring that went against her chest, "W-what?"

"I'm not your property, Mikaelson. And I don't even need protection."

The redhead twirled the ring between her fingertips, "Possession wasn't my original proposition, but I'm open to it if you want." She said with a smirk and raised her blue eyes to meet Josie's.

Josie's cheeks flushed furiously, and the Tribrid's smile grew.

"D-Do you know what? I have better things to do than chat with you." She turned and started walking toward the school's border with the forest.

Hope's voice almost stopped her, "You know I'll find a way to put that ring on your finger, don't you?"

Still walking, Josie turned around. "I want to see you try."

And even if the siphon denied it, there was the beginning of a smile on her face.

•••

After a while of walking, Josie realized that Asmund was leading her to Freya's house, to Lizzie. As the house was out of town, Josie ended up stealing a bike attached to a pole with a rune (she would try to return later) and made an energy mark on herself as she was starting to get tired and wanted to pedal faster.

She still didn't remember the path very well, but the Nordic compass she'd made on her arm for her birthday was still there and guided her to the spot. The rune was huge but beautiful and a hint of satisfaction came to Josie with the knowledge that only she could make the rune disappear.

It was midnight when she entered Freya's property, and Lizzie's room was on the second floor. The two had not yet talked because the blonde was unconscious after the escape from Chicago.

Halfway there she had taken a crystal, smooth with little texture and resembling a triangle. The bluish color reminded her of her sister's eyes.

Using what little magic she had left since she wasn't wearing Kai's talisman and Freya hadn't yet taught her about elemental runes, she manipulated the wind currents to help her climb up to Lizzie's window.

She tapped her fingernail on the glass, and it took a few tries before Lizzie woke up and realized who was at her window. The blonde jumped out of bed to open it.

"Hi-" Josie could barely say as Lizzie pulled her into a hug and they both fell to the floor.

They didn't worry about the noise and laughed as they squeezed each other, light and dark hair mingling on the hardwood floor.

"I missed you so much." The siphon murmured. "Are you okay? Want to talk about what Conrad did?"

The blonde denied it.

Lizzie then started slapping her shoulder, and Josie tried to pull away as she grunted in pain. "Why did you do that? Why did you cut off our connection."

The moment of joy passed, and Josie's face turned dark. "It was a spell I discovered years ago when I was looking for something to try to stop the Merge."

It was like a bucket of cold water in both, knowing one would have to kill the other.

"A few days before the night I ran away, I found a strange grimoire in our library, and there was a necklace, a huge source of magic. That source was the consciousness and soul of our uncle, Malachai."

Lizzie's eyebrows shot up, "The one that killed Alaric?"

"Yes, when I wear the necklace, I can see him and talk to him. In the grimoire, there was knowledge he had written about our species. And there was this, too." Josie took the Stele out of her coat sleeve, Lizzie seemed intrigued by the glow of the red crystal and the scriptures on the obsidian stick.

"He told me that over a millennium ago, there were several siphons like me, and they used runes." She showed the marks on her arms, and the blonde tried to touch the drawings but stopped when she saw her sister trying to move away. "Only we could carve the runes into our skin because we could siphon their energy. But then, the normal witches got jealous and started decimating us."

Elizabeth inhaled sharply with the story.

"He taught me how to use some of the runes, but I still can't do the most advanced ones. It's pretty much self-mutilating because the crystal burns my skin." The brunette rambled. "Look, I'll show you."

Josie took the blue stone from her pocket and tried to remember the rune she had studied earlier, touched the tip of the red crystal to the gem and began to draw the lines. The rune was one of peace and tranquility, it was almost two diamond shapes interconnected by a dash that cut the two. Lizzie watched everything with her eyes shining in wonder. When Josie was done, she wrapped the stone in a leather thread to make a necklace.

She held the object out to her sister, "It's a rune of peace, tranquility, t-to help you get better ..." she muttered shyly.

The other Parker's blue eyes sparkled with happiness, and she tried to hug Josie again. This time, however, the brunette couldn't control it and tensed. Lizzie stopped, and Josie's brown eyes showed an unspoken apology.

"I-I'm getting better, I p-promise." Josie's voice broke, "B-But it's still hard, Liz, especially with you."

Asmund seemed to feel the anguish of his owner, and jumped in Josie's lap, purring to calm her.

The blonde brought her hands to her lap, squeezing the crystal with the rune tightly until her fingers went white.

"You have to forget what happened, Jos." Lizzie muttered. "We were kids, you didn't know how to control yourself-"

Josie cut her off, "And I don't know yet." She sighed, "I know you forgave me, but what mother did ..." She bit her lip hard, not caring about the sting of pain and the taste of copper. "The things she did won't go away easily."

"Just don't push me away again, please," Lizzie begged and the brunette felt her throat close painfully.

Josie looked down at her hands, her fingers disappearing into the familiar's long fur. "I promise, but you need to be patient with me."

"Maybe you could talk to someone. Kol and Davina came to visit me today, and they clearly care about you, told me how they found you."

"I don't know if I can open myself yet, but maybe you could tell them." The girl said softly.

Lizzie started slowly, "But I don't know what happened after Jo took you to the bedroom."

The older twin cringed a little, and her eyes began to burn. Josie knew this was a sign of tears. Asmund meowed weakly.

"They don't need to know that yet, just from the other side of your perspective to try to help me control myself." And then she sighed. "Thank you, Lizzie, for not hating me after everything I've done, not just back then-" Josie didn't care about the first tears that fell.

"You're my sister, Jo, I'll always forgive you-" She stopped suddenly, her eyes doubling in size. "What is it?"

Josie frowned, and Lizzie reached for her so quickly that Josie couldn't pull away. She ran a finger over Josie's wet cheek and her fingertips glittered with a strange liquid.

The brunette moved closer to look at the substance on her sister's fingers. It was a brilliant golden liquid.

_ Golden _ .

Like Josie's blood.

"Was I crying this?" Josie ran her fingers over her cheeks, collecting more of the liquid that didn't have the same consistency as ordinary tears.

Lizzie licked her lips, "I think we have to wake up Freya."

•••

The Mikaelson witch, still in her pajamas, stared at the gold liquid in the experiment glass. The twins watched the blonde perform various spells in her home library.

"I can tell you that the only thing that this resembles your blood, is the color." The woman said.

Lizzie turned to her sister, "What do you mean with your blood?"

The brunette walked to the table and picked up a small dagger, piercing her fingertip. The blond Parker stared in amazement at the red blood mixed with a brilliant golden liquid.

"Yeah, I know, but we still have no idea what this is and why it's happening to me. And from your reaction I know it's not something from the Parkers."

Freya approached the two, "This, my dear student, is gold." She shook the bottle in front of the brunette's face.

The jaw of the two teenagers dropped, "G-gold? I cried golden tears?"

Lizzie made what looked like a frown, "Think about it, at least you will never suffer from financial problems."

The three burst out laughing, partly because of the incredulity of the situation and the stress of not knowing why this was happening.

Josie dropped her shoulders, "Frankly, I just want to sleep and rest for the spell test I'll have."

Freya crossed her arms, "Feel free to crash in one of the guest rooms. But how exactly did you get here?"

Josie's cheeks heated, "I kind of stole a bike..."

Freya blinked several times, "I'll let Davina and Kol handle this."

Josie smiled and took Asmund in her lap, "I think it's a great idea."

•••

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many things happened in this chapter! We had a lot of memories of when Josie was Mary, and of her life, including a very important moment with Klaus. What did you think about the Karnstein twins?
> 
> I felt that Josie needed to vent a little about what's going on with Kai, so I made that important scene between them.
> 
> Josie has made a new friend, Landon! He's a cool geek, and what will help Jo with Norse mythology! Speaking of mythology, what did you think of the tales?
> 
> And had a few moments with Hope, too. I think I better explain now that Hosie is not the focus of the story, but Josie's journey, though the relationship will gradually evolve and will be of great importance to the written end of the story.
> 
> Finally Josie and Lizzie could talk again! and had some tips on what happened that made the twins fall apart.
> 
> And now Josie cries golden tears ??
> 
> You will have to wait until the next chapters to find out why.
> 
> See you next time, guys! please comment, that motivates me to write more!


	12. Another Visit and More Unanswered Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BIGGEST CHAPTER YET! ENJOY

#  Another Visit and More Unanswered Questions

Josie woke up early. Asmund wrapped around her feet and the blanket keeping her warm enough for the spring weather.

Josie also woke up with Malachai nudging her.

"Stooop." She whimpered, wanting to hide. Nothing helped, she heard laughter from the wizard, who was still poking her cheek.

It was starting to hurt.

"Malachai!"

In response she received a flick on her forehead.

Josie made a sound, surrendering and sitting on the bed. She rubbed her eyes with the covers.

"See, it wasn't that hard." He said.

"Because being woken up like that is a complete wonder."

Kai made a frown that Josie could see through her still cloudy eyes.

"You're almost late." The Siphon started. "You're lucky you're still wearing the necklace or I couldn't wake you up."

"But my cell hasn't rang yet." She replied confused, remembering the alarm app.

The brunette shrugged. Josie leaned over to pick up the device from the table beside her bed.

"Ah, damn it. It's dead. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Kai denied, "None. But from how high the sun is I don't think it's too early."

Josie jumped out of bed, running to her bathroom - and thanking Kol for being a Mikaelson so she didn't have to share the bathroom with anyone - and grabbing her uniform from the closet. She didn't take long in the shower, but she was in such a hurry that she spilled paste on her shirt.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit." Josie said, almost biting her tongue. She held the top of her shirt close to her collar, trying to clean up the mess when her eyes hit the part of the bust near the shoulder.

Where the protection rune used to be.

_ Used to. _

The eyes fell on her forearm. It was also empty.

"KAI!"

"Look, if you forget the towel again I-" He slammed the door on the wall with his strength, but stopped talking when he saw the distress in his niece's gaze. "What happened?"

"My runes! They're gone, Kai!" She showed her arms.

"Weren't some supposed to be permanent?"

"Do they seem permanent to you ?!" She screamed and left the bathroom, almost running over the older one.

Josie ran to the bed and pulled Stele out from under the pillow. She didn't like to be separated from the object that was her only source of defense in some situations. Kai mocked her the first few times, but then he remembered all the stressful situations the girl had been in and shut up.

When Josie picked up the Stele she quickly positioned the red tip of the crystal in her palm and dragged. A black line appeared on the skin, but Josie's relief was not long-lasting, as it disappeared in a matter of moments.

Josie looked up to meet Kai's, who looked as surprised as she did.

"I need to meet with Freya."

•••

The clinking of silverware in the lounge and the murmuring of conversations were the main sounds in the room, it was time for breakfast. Josie sat at the table where Jennie was, she read a book while sipping a coffee darker than her hair.

It had been a week since Lizzie came to New Orleans, and now she was staying in the apartment with Davina and Kol. Josie made nightly visits whenever she could, but even so, she was starting to get stressed by the calm and normalcy of everything. In her head, a storm was coming and would catch her unprepared. Especially now that her runes no longer worked, and she still didn't know why.

She would have the afternoon off after two P.M, at the end of her last class. Luckily for Josie, it was one of the days when she was free to go to Freya's house for one more of her lessons, so n she wouldn't need to escape school.

Josie offered her a good morning with a small smile, and Carstairs put the reading aside to start a conversation. It was after a few minutes that Josie frowned.

"Where's Hope?"

Jennie shrugged, "She usually flirts with Grayson near the gym on Fridays morning. You are likely to find her there."

Josie tilted her head to the side and Jennie watched her reaction curiously, Josie's face didn't change at all, and she simply changed the subject to the new summer collection that Jennie was excited to buy.

The conversation continued to flow, until a blonde girl passed by the table they were at, and exchanged glares with Jennie.

The witch rolled her eyes, "Do you happen to know any painful spells?" She said following the blonde out of the corner of her eye.

Josie's eyes practically sparkled, "I know one that bursts some arteries."

Jennie gave a cruel little smile, "I'm going to need that spell later."

The Siphon rested her elbows on the table, "Who is she?"

"Another one of Hope's exes, Jaz, practically obsessed with her."

Josie cast a furtive look at the blonde's table with her friends. "She doesn't seem to be-"

"A bitch?"

"I was going to say nice, but if you say so."

Jennie tapped her red nails on the edge of the tray, "You don't look bothered."

The Parker girl shot her a confused look, "Why would I be?"

She shrugged, "I imagine it would be an expected reaction, you know, with everything that's going on between you and Hope."

Josei made an expression of understanding, an amused smile on her lips. "There's nothing going on between Hope and me, except for the occasional flirt and blood exchange."

Jennie made a face, "So her plan failed."

"Plan?"

"She told me to tell you that she was flirting with Grayson, as she used to, just so I could tell her what your reaction was. Hope wanted to see if you would be jealous."

Josie chuckled, "Although she evokes certain confused feelings in me," She saw Jennie's eyes sparkle with the confession, "I don't get jealous."

"Never, ever?"

Josie paused a moment to think about her childhood moments and the different way she was treated related to Lizzie. "No, I don't think I was ever jealous."

"Well, I think Hope's has the hots for you."

Josie raised an eyebrow.

Jennie shrugged, "She practically stalked you when you kind of saved her ass," The line wrenched an amused smile from Josie. "And there're still the paintings and dreams-"

"You know about the dreams?" Josie interrupted.

"Of course I know, I'm that idiot's best friend. But the question is, how do  _ you _ know about them?"

"I dreamed of her once while on my way to New Orleans. We recognized each other at the festival when we danced and-" Josie ran over with words when she saw the malicious gleam in Jennie's feline eyes upon discovering this new information. "And we don't know the reason for it."

The Carstairs tapped her red nails on the wood of the table. "I think you should ask Hope to show you her paintings." That was all he said before getting up and walking out the hall doors.

Josie watched everything, confused and thoughtful.

•••

"You look upset, Josie." Hope whispered close to her ear.

Leaving her daydreams behind, Josie tapped her fingernail on the pen she used to make her notes. She was at Offensive and Defensive Magic class, one of the few she shared with Hope, but with the knowledge that the brunette had learned for the Merge training in Chicago Hayley decided to put her in some advanced classes.

"Sorry." Josie smiled weakly, her hand reaching for the part where her collarbone met her shoulder, where her birthmark was. Having left with such haste that she had forgotten to put a spell to hide the constellation she shared with her sister; Josie was used to using only a simple illusion rune. The thought of the runes that no longer worked surfaced and Josie struggled to hide her concern. "I'm just thinking about this homework that Professor Malcom gave me, it seems to be challenging."

Hope smiled so beautifully that Josie was taken aback for a few seconds.

"Don't worry, Jos. From what I saw you seem to me to be an incredibly talented witch, I know you'll make it. But if you have any difficulties, I'm always available, just go to my room."

Josie tried, really tried, but couldn't help remembering what happened the last time the two were alone in a room.

"If you want to do something to relieve your nervous energy," she pointed to Josie's restless leg. "I'll be at the training ground in the eastern area before lunch, I can show you how to use a sword, if you like."

Josie's brown eyes twinkled and she forgot her dilemma, remembering how cool it was to see students fighting with swords as she had seen in movies.

"I would love to."

•••

Josie's muscles stretched and burned with each movement, her breathing was heavy, but she tried to control herself in a rhythm, her feet moved under the heavy sand, quick and careful not to trip. Sword shocks were a frequent sound, and it made her skin prickle.

"You learn fast." Hope said between breaths, one surrounding the other.

Josie's wrist was starting to hurt, and now and then she had to hold the sword with both hands. Hope lunged for an attack and Josie swerved in time, trying to swing her sword for a blow to the rear of the hybrid, which took advantage of her senses to block.

Hope attacked again, Josie blocked, it was strange how the brunette acted without thinking, like a muscle memory. She remembered that when she lived as Mary, she learned to fight and wondered if in any other life too. Josie was more on the defensive, watching Mikaelson's positions,memorizing them. Hope used her right hand, and Josie could use that to her advantage, as she was ambidextrous. It was almost lunchtime, and the sun was shining mercilessly on the training ground.

Josie attacked, one of the few times, and Hope positioned herself to defend; the Siphon girl then used her leg to kick the redhead's right calf, which was destabilized by a weak knee. Josie then turned the gleaming blade of the sword against a sun beam, causing the reflection to hit the Tribrid's eyes directly. Hope put the forearm of her free hand over her eyes, and Josie was going to try another hit to knock her down; it didn't work because the redhead recovered and they caught swords again.

Within seconds, Josie had Hope's sword at her neck.

"Dead." She said with a winning smile.

Josie raised an eyebrow, and remembered the conversation she had with Jennie over breakfast.

"You look beautiful today, Hope Mikaelson." Siphon said, her eyes brown in the greatest innocence she could muster.

"W-what?" Hope's eyes widened, taken aback by the compliment, and her posture changed. Unintentionally, she became unsteady and her arm spasmed slightly, and the blade ended up making a small cut on Josie's cheek.

The brunette took advantage of the distraction and kicked the Tribrid's chest, using the sword to sweep afterwards. The blade at Mikaelson's neck.

"What did you say? I think I won."

Hope raised her indicator, "I- That was cheating!"

The brunette smiled, but stopped when she felt something run down her cheek. Hope got up in a hurry, and wiped Josie's red and gold blood, who looked around at the few people in the field. No one was close enough to notice.

"Sorry, I'll be more careful next time." Hope said and did a simple healing spell and Josie felt the wound close.

Josie smiled at the proximity of their bodies, "Okay, even if it's the first time, these workouts are helping me a lot to control my restlessness."

"You are natural, and is impressing me."

_ "You are natural, dear daughter." Darrel said as he spun the sword. _

_ Mary smiled, still feeling strange that she was wearing pants; the pulse ached and the muscles burned with the effort. The tip of his sword with the Snitch touched the damp, grassy ground. _

_ "One day," she began, thinking of the dreams she had of herself wielding a sword. "I will be as good as you are, my father." _

Josie bit her lip at the small memory, thinking of other lives besides Adena and Mary, who she still couldn't remember.

Hope made a small curve of her lips. "So you think I'm beautiful?"

Josie just raised an eyebrow, the Mikaelson simply challenged her with her eyes.

"It is the truth." Josie simply said.

The redhead's cheeks darkened slightly from pink, she seemed content with Josie's words.

"Let's-"

"Hope!"

The two girls turned to the voice that came from the edge of the field. Hayley Marshall was there, a small smile on her face when she gestured for her daughter to follow and walked away calmly.

The redhead spun her index finger, "Let's talk about this later!" And started to walk on her back.

Josie had a small smile on her face, "Sure."

"Don't miss me too much!" She screamed before turning and running to her mother.

The brunette denied with a small chuckle, wondering if she would tell Lizzie that on their next encounter.

Josie remained on the training ground, a large circle of sand surrounded by large bleachers of smooth stone. The architecture vaguely reminded him of something Greek. She kept practicing the moves she had learned with the puppets in one of the corners, there weren't many students there.

To try something new, Josie swung the blade more than she should've, not noticing the presence behind.

"Hey! Pay attention, idiot." A voice snarled.

Josie turned and saw that she had accidentally hit a boy, who was passing by with his group of friends. There was a small cut on the boy's biceps, and a tiny red spot appeared.

"I'm sorry! I can do a healing spell-" She tried to get closer but he pushed her away and she stumbled, her back against the doll.

"Don't touch me, stupid witch. This is a training place for the strongest, we don't need your magic-tricks."

Josie frowned, Hayley had said the training was open to everyone old enough.

"Calm down there, I just wanted to help." Josie brought her hands up to her torso, her sword at her feet.

The boy was dark haired, muscular and clearly taller than Josie. He looked her up and down.

"Look here, guys," He called his three friends closer, all four brandishing swords. "It looks like she's that Mikaelson freak new bitch." He used the sword hilt to support himself.

"She could have at least left the new girl with us first, couldn't she, Ross?" One of the friends said.

_ So the bastard's name is Ross, huh? _ , Josie thought.

The Siphon rolled her eyes and sighed, "If you'll excuse me, I will run away from all this toxic masculinity around here." She tried to pass, but Ross pulled her by the shoulder. Josie quickly slapped his hand away, a thousand spells running through her mind.

"No, no. I think we should teach you a lesson, little witch."

He struck the sword in her direction and Josie acted without thinking. She bent down to dodge and picked up her own blade that was on the sand, using it to block the attack.

Josie got up and started to walk away, sword raised.

"Have you ever stopped to think how useless you are without your magic tricks?" He teased.

Josie clenched her jaw, she had survived so far without magic of her own, and she was going to beat that asshole up with no help, she just needed to think.

He struck again, Josie blocked, arm shaking with the force of the impact, still giving little backward steps.

Ross seemed to take advantage only of his brute strength, and the knowledge he already had. Josie tried to remember everything she could about Mary's knowledge, looking for some method that would help her. She almost smiled when she found one.

Josie looked around, more students arrived in the stands, looking at the scene curiously.

"Won't say anything-"

Josie jumped up, hitting as hard as she could. The boy was taken aback by the change from defensive to offensive. She attempted a blow to his upper body, and Ross anticipated the move, raising his sword to defend himself, but Josie changed the route at the last moments and cut the boy's waist.

Ross gasped and took a step back, grabbing the reddish spot. Josie was quick to strike the boy on the leg, another cut. Spun around behind him and when he tried to get up Josie kicked him in the back.

He fell on the sand, but took advantage of his senses to get up quickly, entering a combat pose.

Josie cursed, it hadn't worked out as she wanted. Ross swung his sword, almost cutting Josie. An alarm went off in the girl's mind, she couldn't bleed in public.

The brunette looked around, Ross's friends were starting to feel uncomfortable, and the small crowd debated whether to intervene or not.

Josie placed the sword horizontally, and a beam of light went straight into the brunette's eyes, who turned his face away, grunting.

Josette came over to try another kick, but Ross grabbed her tightly.

"You think you're smart, don't you?" He pushed her away and Josie fell on her back on the floor. "Well, take this!"

He lowered the blade towards Josie, who used arms and legs to move away. Ross repeated the same blow, and Josie narrowly escaped.

Her hand closed in a handful of sand, which he used to throw in his face. Ross shouted, almost dropping the sword. Thinking fast, the Siphon kicked the ground, sending another blast of sand in the boy's face, taking the sword from his hand, making a cut on his thigh, and then kicking right on the spot.

Ross finally fell to the ground, out of sheer malice, Josie opened another long cut on his torso, euphoria clouding the Parker's mind with painful spells she had been wanting to experiment for some time, even though she had no magic source at the moment, almost considered sucking on him until she could see his lips turn purple like Conrad's.

Josie came out of those dark thoughts by biting her lip hard. She crossed the swords in an 'x'-shape against Ross' neck. Josie noticed that the cuts she had made were already healing.

_ Vampire. _

"I don't think I need my magic tricks to teach  _ little boys _ a lesson ," Josie practically spat out the words. "With fragile masculinity that think they are above all." She ran the tip of the sword across his neck, up to his cheek where she made a cut.

Josie raised the sword that belonged to Ross high in the air, and his eyes widened. Josie lowered the blade, driving it into the sand beside the boy's head.

Josie turned her back on Ross and his troupe, and looked at the small crowd who were murmuring enthusiastically. Among the students in the stands, Josette noticed that Jennie was there, standing as if she had just arrived. The Carstairs uncrossed her arms and clapped her hands slowly, a proud look directed at Parker in her feline eyes, and lipstick lips curved into a pretentious smile.

Josie smiled too, throwing her sword down and marching out of the training camp.

•••

Hope coughed with the amount of dust in the mansion's attic at the French Quarter. She was there at the request of her aunt Rebekah, whom she was talking on her phone at the time.

"Damn. What was the last time you sent someone to clean this up?" Hope complained, coughing as she walked around. There were several shelves and things covered by sheets yellowed by time. There were so many things that the passages were narrow.

"A few decades ago." The voice with a heavy accent said over the cell.

"Just tell me again what you want from this mess, Aunt Bex." The redhead said while taking care not to trip.

"If my memory serves me, and it usually does, there is a chest in the right corner of the attic, it had pink details but since centuries have passed it must have faded. Your father will arrive today and he will surely have a party, a Victorian-themed dance if I'm not mistaken, and in that chest is one of my most beautiful dresses and jewelry that the world has ever had the pleasure of seeing me wear. "

Hope practically rolled her eyes, about to say something sarcastic to annoy her aunt when she tripped over a pile of books on the floor. To hold on, Hope grabbed the nearest thing, but her hands just pulled on a sheet that fell with her, raising even more dust in the air.

"Damn it." Hope coughed, trying to find her cell phone. She heard Rebekah's calls and found the device in front of the large object that was previously covered. Grumbling, Hope looked up, facing a painting.

It was framed beautifully by gold details that were beginning to peel off. The canvas was covered with dust, and Hope muttered a spell.

"  _ Dictum _ "

The dirty was gone, but the aged varnish still hampered her vision. Hope raised the cell phone to light up the canvas and felt the air come out of her lungs.

"W-what?"

The painting was of a girl, long hair that blended with the dark color of her long old dress with gilt cut. She was sitting at a window, a book in her lap, but even though her face was turned slightly to look at the view, Hope still recognized those features.

A shiver ran down her spine, and the redhead took a few steps backward, falling seated on other stacks of books.

Her eyes fell on the corner of the painting and she swallowed dry seeing saw her father's familiar signature and a date.

_ 1512 _

Hope's fingers tightened on her cellphone and she woke to the vampire's voice. Slowly raising the phone to her ear.

"Aunt Rebekah, I need you to come here,  _ now. _ "

•••

"I don't know what's wrong." Freya said while analyzing Stele, she herself had tried to draw on Josie's skin, but the lines just disappeared.

"I woke up like that. Yesterday everything was normal." Josie ran her hands through her hair. Sh had been at the Mikaelson's house for hours, but they had made no progress.

"Well," the blonde said. "Let's take a break, I'll get something from the kitchen for us to snack on."

Josie sighed and nodded, massaging the temples. She did some breathing exercises to see if she could calm down. Josie felt a chill go through her body, arms fell and something in the atmosphere seemed to have changed. Josie raised her head slowly.

The first thing he saw was the Universe.

The Mantle was huge and covered a figure from top to head, extending across the floor, and every time the being moved, Josie felt the galaxies and stars move together. The chair creaked when Josie got up and by the sleeve of the cape an arm came out, a long, delicate hand touching the spines of the books in Freya's library.

The Siphon could practically see the power in the room in wave forms, Josie approached with uncertain steps and waited for the figure to turn.

"You know what,  _ völva _ " It was a woman's voice, slow and heavy as if she spoke in that tone thinking it was the only one Josie would understand. "You are not like before." The figure turned slowly, and beneath the hood's darkness a face appeared, pale with a sharp chin. Josie took a step back when she noticed the eyes, bumping into the table.

It seemed that the Universe lived in those orbs.

The woman walked over to Josie, who straightened her spine. A hand came out of the cloak and grabbed the teenager's chin, forcing her to look into the incredibly tall woman's face.

An almost cruel smile appeared on her white lips.

"Look at you ..." Nails dug into the skin, "Insecure, traumatized, lonely ..." She turned her face, " Slowly succumbing to the darkness inside your being."

Josie was simply paralyzed.

"When my sisters and I carved your name on the magnificent tree, we expected more."

The air left the brunette's lungs and just a word left her lips, "  _ Verðandi _ ."

_ Verdandi. The Norn of the Present. _

The woman arched a black eyebrow, and Josie found herself wondering if it was the same color as her veiled hair.

"So you know a few things."

"I know about Adena and Mary. I know I had more lives before them." Josie said and saw the galaxies eyes narrow. "The gods are real. And my runes - they don't work anymore."

Verdandi smiled cruelly, "You can't have everything you want, silly girl. Life requires  _ sacrifices _ ."

Walking around the room, the Norn ran her hands over her cloak and Josie was mesmerized by the stars that flickered.

Taking courage, the teenager took a step forward.

"Your sister told me that  _ he _ would find me, that my time was running out." Josie raised her chin in defiance of Verdandi's searching gaze. "Who is he? Why am I being visited for the second time by one of the most powerful beings in the universe?"

"You're not ready yet, girl, for the answers you're looking for."

That made Josie's eyes shine with anger. She was about to reply when the doors opened and Freya came in with a tray in hand.

The blonde's eyes widened, "What the hell is going on-"

Josie sighed in shock, for Verdandi simply raised a pale palm and the witch froze, frozen in time.

This made her react without thinking, enraged. "Don't you dare do something with her-"

"Calm thyself, silly girl. I do not have any interest on mere mortals." The woman snarled and approached.

"I am a mere mortal."

"And this is where you differentiate yourself from others." She said, her voice flooded with contempt. "You are as insolent as your mother."

Her words made Josie hesitate, "What do you mean by that?"

The corners of Norn's colorless lips curved slowly, and the strange color of her eyes made Josie want to cringe. Every time the distance between the two was shortened, the Siphon had to compress the urge to jump over the table where she was cornered. The arm came out of the veil, and the bony hand grabbed the chain from the necklace Josie used to siphon magic.

"So many parallels you can't even imagine,  _ tsk tsk _ ," she denied softly. "The answers are right in front of you,  _ völva _ ." The other hand went up to the face, the sharp nail sliding across the skin and making cuts. Red and gold blood ran in a line to the jaw. Josie did not dare to look away, putting her affront on her eyes. "Better find out fast, your time is running out,  _ Sigrún _ ."

The name made Josie's stomach churn and her head throb. When Verdandi left, Siphon managed to breathe again.

"What is the name of your mortal witch,  _ völva _ ?"

"Freya." The brunette gasped.

Eyes that reflected the Universe widened and theNorn laughed.

"Listen to me well, girl, because what I'm going to tell you is important." Verdandi spoke, turning back on the brunette. Her chin turned to the left so to look at Josie. "  _ The Secret is how to die. _ "

Verdandi disappeared and the atmosphere in the place became lighter. The oppressive magic of the place extinguished and the sharp noise of things falling to the floor made Josie cringe.

"What was that?" Freya shouted.

Josie did not turn to reply, "Just a visit from one of the most powerful beings in existence."

•••

Hours later, Josie is in her room, studying some runes at Kai's grimoire, Asmund curled up by her feet.

"  _ Isa _ is such a simple rune," she murmured to the cat, "Just a dash, but it's an ice rune, and Freya even said that I don't know how elemental runes behave. Imagine if I draw it on my palm and mine arm freeze! "

But then her excitement waned after remembering that the runes no longer worked. She moved to the next page, tracing the markings in the dark ink.

"Othala." She said

_ "What's that?" Lord Klaus asked, seeing the object extended towards him. _

_ Mary had a big smile on her face, she was a little disheveled, as she had run to catch up with the vampire in the castle corridors. In her hands was a round silver pendant with a design in the middle. _

_ "A gift for you." She replied, holding the necklace out to the man. "A few days ago, you were telling me about your family, and how important it is to you, how they are your home. So I carved this rune in wood, as I saw my father do a few times. I discovered this mark in an old book in the library, it's called Othala and it means- " _

_ "Inheritance," Klaus interrupted, "Home." He took it carefully in his hands, running his finger over the rune. _

_ "I discovered a spell that turns small objects into silver, so that's what I did." _

_ Klaus raised his eyes, which shone affectionately at the youngest. "Thank you, Lady Mary. I have no words to express how much I value it." _

_ The brunette clutched the expensive fabric of her long dress, shy. "I know you are leaving in a few weeks after my wedding. I want you to remember me when you travel the world." _

Josie smiled at the memory, her friendship in the past life with Klaus was something she was happy to remember little by little. Unlike Adena, who had a troubled life, and who had spent onlyfew days with Freya before leaving to do something Josie did not yet know.

Josette left the grimoire aside, frowning as she remembered her nightmares about Adena. In 1845, it was common to send women to psychiatric hospitals for simple reasons, the century was filled with accusations of female hysteria. Adena's father, Carl, came from a magical family, but Josie remembered her self-destructive behavior. One of her last dreams as Adena had been a memory of her trying to jump off the roof of one of the towers, running desperately in the corridors with the doctors in her heels.

The Parker girl stopped to think. Adena was desperate to flee the place, and when she did, she left town and drowned on a bridge, at the request of the same voices in her head that Josie was also listening. Adena drowned, but came back to life. She had also had strange dreams from her past lives.

What had happened to Mary?

Josie shifted on the bed, and Asmund meowed, unhappy with the owner who got up. The Siphon was halfway to picking up a violin, when a note materialized in the air.

Josie frowned, and grabbed the note in her hand, reading the message.

"Well, Asmund," she murmured, waving the paper that summoned her to the Headmaster's office, "It looks like I'm going to confront an old friend."

•••

Standing in front of the big wooden door, Josie clenched her fists, trying to control the fingers that were beginning to tremble slightly.

Klaus Mikaelson was waiting for her.

She knocked on the door three times, her perfect number.

"You may come in." Said a voice with an accent.

She entered. Klaus was busy writing something on his desk, and Josie quickly realized that his accent was the only thing that remained the same. He had cut his long hair, and obviously did not wear clothes from imported fabrics as he used to. He had a shallow beard, and the position he was in brought a slight memory to the Siphon's mind: the two of them in the library, she studying ancient scrolls and he drawing her with the view provided by the huge panes.

"I heard some interesting things about you..." Klaus started, still focused on what he was doing.

"Josie." She said, and saw a clear reaction in the Original's stance. "Josie Claire." Took a step forward, interlacing her fingers in front of her body.

Klaus slowly lifted his blue eyes, which shone in clear recognition.

"You are Klaus Mikaelson, Headmaster and Hope's father."

He said nothing, and swirled the golden pen between his fingers.

"You forgot 'first hybrid, king of New Orleans and heart ripper', since we are going to list my titles." Klaus stood up, "You are Davina's niece." He paused while studying her. His words were calm, as if he was calculating what to say. "She never said much about her family before."

Josie shrugged, "We weren't very close."

"Hm." He came around and leaned on the table, "You're from Chicago, aren't you?"

The brunette considered whether to tell Klaus everything. He seemed to remember Mary, but she still needed more evidence.

"Yes, I have lived there all my life."

There was a pause and Josie took the opportunity to take a few more careful small steps. "Headmaster Marshall told me that you have a habit of inviting new students to a talk."

Klaus inhaled, "Yes, yes. Sit down, please." He gestured lazily to the padded chair, positioning it for the girl to sit before going to his own place. "It is usually just a small conversation, a welcome of sorts, but unfortunately, it seems that I was a little late this time."

"I understand you were in Europe on business."

"So ..." He twirled the pen again with his fingers and Josie's head tilted. "I'll get to the point. I know who you are, Josette Adena Parker."

The Siphon girl froze, certainly did not expecting the conversation to go this way.

"You know, Kol always thinks he can hide things from me, and he did a good job of forging your papers and a history." He pointed to the folder on the table. "But I have known him for a thousand years, and I also have my contacts.

Pressing her lips in a thin line, Josie contemplated what she would do.

"Now, I'm not sure what's going on in Chicago, your Coven never had much affinity with my person, but I would love to know how a Parker twin, daughter of one of the men who most tried to kill me, ended up in my school. "

Josie cleared her throat, "Do you want the full story or just the summary?"

He leaned back in the leather chair, "Complete, please."

Josie raised her eyebrows, "Okay, but before I start my story full of twists and turns, I have a simple question." The corner of her lips curled, eyes shining in a very familiar way for the Mikaelson hybrid. "Do you still wear it?"

The hybrid's superb expression was confused for a measly second before it recovered. "Do I wear what?"

"The necklace I gave you."

Klaus became serious and didn't answer. Josette raised her hand, and an object ripped from the Original's neck and came flying into the witch's palm.

Her fingers caught on the silver piece, and she turned her head to look. "It seems so, Lord Klaus."

"Mary Campbell." He snarled. "How-"

"I'm not a vampire, if that's what you're considering." Josie interrupted. "You were always quick to judge what happens, Klaus, it looks like that hasn't changed."

The Original let out a slow breath. "You disappeared in 1512."

This was new information for Josie, but not completely unexpected.

"I need your help, Klaus. There are so many things that I have to tell you." She shook her head slightly, "Do you remember when you told me that story about Fenrir?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm going to need  _ you _ to believe this time."

•••

It took a while, but she managed to tell the hybrid everything and convince him that she was a reincarnation, and so was Mary.  _ So you met one of my sisters _ , it was one of the first things Klaus said.

"I still don't have all my memories. I don't know where Adena went after she broke up with Freya, and one of the last memories I have was giving this necklace to you. I'm glad you still wear it."

Klaus gave a small smile, "I told you it was important to me."

"You said I disappeared."

Klaus put his hands together, the two of them were side by side on the couch. "Your wedding was only a few weeks away. You were getting worse every day."

"Worse?"

"As time passed by, you started acting weird, you were losing your liveliness little by little, I could see it disappearing from your eyes. We were all worried, I could hear you wake up in the nights with shrill screams. You never told us what you dreamed of. "

"I remember that." Josie whispered.

"But, there was a day ..." Klaus tilted his chin, "Nobody could find you, you weren't at the castle, and never went out without a guard. Sebastian and I went out riding to try to find you."

Josie clutched the cushion between her fingers.

"We located you at dusk, we managed to find your horse near the cliffs and we followed your trail. You were on the edge of one, and I could hear your hear beat as loud as the water that crashed the rocks."

"I was about to jump." Josie whispered.

"I remember we both screamed your name, desperate. And when you turned your head ..." Klaus exhaled. "I've never seen you so scared before."

"And then you jumped."

Josie closed her eyes, if she concentrated enough, she swore she could hear the screams of Sebastian and Klaus.

"I tried, I swear I tried." Klaus cleared his throat when his voice broke. "But I wasn't fast enough, I jumped into the cold water, the fall was high and the sea was merciless, but I couldn't find you."

Josie raised her eyelids, her eyes stung. Slowly, her fingers walked across the sofa and intertwined with Klaus's, he squeezed tight.

"We went back to the castle, your father was heartbroken. We called on the search team, all night."

Josie stopped to think, knowing that Adena had died, but she was also back.

"Did you find me-"

"On the nearest beach." Klaus bit the inside of his cheek, "Dead."

"But I came back."

"Yes. Sebastian was the one who found you, you were as white as sand, your dress torn. Darrel was so furious, angry, that he almost killed one of the guards. But then... you just...  _ woke up. _ Coughing, desperate." Klaus's blue eyes collided with Josie's. "And when I looked into your eyes, I didn't recognize you."

"All the peasants said it was a miracle, in a few days you were already recovered and everyone returned to their routines. But you were different, more closed into your shell. Your eyes kept a thousand secrets that you couldn't share. When you were with us, your eyes were almost nostalgic, as if you was going to miss us and was just waiting for the right moment. "

"Right time for what?"

"I don't know, but we found out sooner than we would've liked. Mary disappeared a fortnight before the wedding."

"Oh."

"You took almost nothing, the ladies said there was only lacking a few small items and two of your simplest dresses. It seems that you just took your horse and disappeared before dawn. We looked throughout the family's whole state, but you just disappeared. "

Josie toyed with the Mikey Mouse watch that Lizzie had given her, "I still don't have all my memories, but Klaus, everything is real. The myths, gods ... and I was involved in it, I still don't know howssss, but I know I am. "

•••

When the blonde entered the attic she certainly didn't expect to find her niece sitting in the middle of books while staring at something without blinking.

Rebekah approached slowly and finally saw what Hope looked like in a trance while looking.

"Oh." It was what came out of her gloss-painted lips. "I never thought I would see that painting again."

"It's from dad." Hope whispered.

"Yes." The blonde confirmed. "Everywhere we moved your father hung it." She gave a half smile, almost sad. "He even asked a witch to spell the painting so it wouldn't suffer the damage of time."

"I never saw that canvas."

"She has a sad story." Rebekah said and sat down next to her niece, both looking at the framed girl. "Mary, it's her name."

"  _ Mary _ ." The girl whispered, almost reverent.

"Your father knew her a long time ago. She was one of the few people who really saw your father's kind side." Rebekah tilted her head to the side, "He loved her dearly."

Hope turned, alarmed.

"Like a dear friend."

This seemed to calm Hope, and Rebekah was confused by her reaction.

"You said she had a sad story ..." Hope tried to get more information.

"She was sick... mentally. At that time it wasn't easy to diagnose that kind of thing. Nik once told me, when he was drunk, that she jumped off a cliff."

"Oh."

Rebekah agreed, "Your father saw it all. One of his biggest regrets was not being able to stop her. They found her on the beach, dead. Somehow she came back to life, but disappeared without a trace days later."

Hope frowned at the unusual ending.

"Nik told me that he searched every inch of the British Isles, but couldn't find her."

They both analyzed the painting again, Hope was expressionless.

"You've seen so many of your dad's paintings..." Rebekah started, "Why did this affected you so much?"

Hope bit the inside of her cheek and took a few moments to respond.

"Because I painted this same girl."

•••

It was three in the morning.

Josie's brown locks occasionally hit her cheek when the wind direction changed. Opening her eyes slowly, half of her feet were off the Institute's parapet, her body seemed to sway with the air currents, leaning forward more and more.

Josie's eyes closed and a tear ran down the path of her cheek, golden and heavy that left a trail,marking the skin.

She needed to remember.

_ The Secret is how to die. _

She took a deep breath, and the sounds around changed, the smell of salt water pierced her nostrils and the wind grew stronger.

_ "Mary!" The shrill scream deconcentrated her. _

_ She opened her eyes, blinking at the sunset light that shocked against the sea. Mary became unstable, and her body leaned forward a little. The noblewoman straightened her spine, and turned her neck to look over her shoulder. _

_ Sebastian and Klaus looked desperate as they tried to climb the grassy slope of the cliff. _

_ First, Mary's dark orbs found Sebastian's, and her heart broke little by little, but when she looked at Niklaus, the fear she was trying to hide appeared. _

_ Mary was terrified, because what she was about to do would have no turning back. _

_ Klaus's left foot took the first step, and the brunette's determination returned. _

_ There was no more time. _

_ She saw again the pink and orange colors of the twilight, the contrast between the blue of day and night, which mixed with the stars. _

_ She flexed her knees. _

_ And jumped. _

Josie lost her breath with the free fall and opened her eyes to the starry New Orleans sky, moving further and further away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE SYNOPSIS PHRASE FINALLY APPEARED !!!
> 
> Many things happened in that chapter, didn't it?
> 
> Tell me your theories and what you guys think!
> 
> The runes are no longer working, Hope discovering a painting of Mary, Josie receiving another mysterious visit!
> 
> What was your favorite part? Which one you guys didn't like it?
> 
> See you all on the next chapter, part 1 is close to ending.


	13. A Body Without a Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, after almost two months I decided to update on April fools and no, it is not a prank.

#  A Body With No Soul

Landon had several problems, insomnia is one of them. He felt like a ghost, sometimes, wandering the halls on the fourth floor of the East Wing of the Mikaelson Institute at four in the morning, when you could hear sounds that were not possible with the symphony of noise in the daylight, when he felt the relief from not having people staring at him and judging him for being the catalyst for all the chaos in the last school year.

Being a ghost was good.

The fourth floor was the least frequented, especially the one in the east building, which did not have many rooms that were used. In the dim light, the paintings on the walls looked alive, and the large bay windows had curtains that touched the floor.

Landon tugged on the sleeve of the shirt he wore to better cover his wrists, his gray eyes went up when he noticed something strange. A dark curtain fluttered in front of him at the end of the corridor, making shadows appear and crash against the boy's figure, the window overlooking a balcony was open.

The fabric came down and Landon saw a silhouette.

Josie.

He bit the inside of his cheek, confused, but then his stomach turned, because the brunette was standing on the balcony railing.

Landon ran, as fast as he could. His heel hit the floor painfully.

The curtain came to life with a strong gust of wind.

And when it came down, Josie was gone.

Perched on the chest, the stone painfully against his stomach, and his trembling hand clasped around a wrist.

"Josie-" He grunted with difficulty.

When Landon looked at the girl, Josie had her eyes clouded, her body limp and the floor meters away in the background.

"G-grab the l-ledge." It was hard to speak, trying not to give in to the weight.

Josette just looked at the boy, she looked almost numb, with a face that was like marble.

Landon saw a body without a soul.

The wrist slipped further and the Phoenix had to let go of the parapet to grab Josie with both hands. The toes hardly touching the floor.

Tears made Kirby's eyes sting.

_ "Gods, please give me strength." _

He couldn't let that girl fall.

A tear streamed down the boy's chin and fell beside the brunette.

"J-Josie, please-" He lost his breath, the parapet digging into his torso hurt like hell. His hands had an iron grip on the brunette's wrist, nails digging into the skin. The wind was strong, and the witch's clothes fluttered.

Josie didn't even blink, she looked up confused.

Landon's toes no longer felt the floor, the entire upper part of his body was out.

In a sadly robotic way, Josie's free hand rose and grabbed the balcony floor.

A single golden drop dripped from the corner of Josie's brown eye.

Landon screamed, pulling with all his strength, the extreme fear he had of the brunette simply slipping made him want to panic.

The two rolled on the balcony floor, falling with exhaustion.

Landon opened his eyes and looked for Josie. She seemed to have awakened, chest was rising and falling erroneously.

Her body was no longer soulless.

Josie, alarmed, moved away until her spine hit the wall, startled. Hands pressed into fists against the torso.

"J-Josie," Landon tried to move closer, the hand he held out trembling.

"Do not touch me!" She cried out, desperate, she couldn't seem to breathe. "P-Please-" She gasped.

Landon pulled away, his eyes still a little cloudy, the collar of his shirt damp with sweat.

"It's okay, it's okay ..." He whispered, hands raised in surrender.

Josie couldn't breathe, her throat had shrunk to the size of a straw, her mind had an alarm going on, her body trembled against the wall.

"Josie, I need you to look at me." The girl vehemently denied, "Josie look at me, I beg you."

The brunette lifted her head, even with tears in her eyes she could still make out Landon's silhouette.

"Breathe with me, Jos."

Josie tried her best to imitate Landon's movements. It took a desperate while, but she calmed down enough to let him get closer. She felt overwhelmed, her senses were heightened, there was so much source of magic around, on the walls, curtains, Landon. The Siphon was sure that if she touched him, there would have nothing to stop the magic from flowing to her.

"I-I'm sorry."

Landon's chest tightened and he looked at his friend's wrist, red with the grip he had used.

He swallowed, "It's okay now." He tried not to pay attention to the golden lines on the witch's face. "It's okay now, Josie."

•••

"I always wanted to do this." Lizzie commented, cutting through the crowd with her sister on her heel.

Josie had her shoulders drawn back, her hands firmly on her torso as she tried to contain the urge to lift her chin to try to breathe better. A red alarm went off in her mind.

She really didn't like crowds.

"Going on a shopping spree with me?" The brunette asked absently as she cast a sideways glance at Malachai who floated close to the two. He had his hands in his jeans pocket and had been wearing a different shirt since the last time Josie saw him the day before; his expression didn't show much, but from time to time he watched the twins interact, almost looking curious.

"Yes." Lizzie kept walking down the mall aisle, her face turning to keep looking at the windows. "We did almost nothing together, and there were days when I only saw you at dinner, and that's when-" The blonde stopped and her blue eyes darkened for a moment, before returning to normal.

Josie bit her cheek, knowing what her sister was going to say.

_ That's when you could have dinner. _

"I-I'm glad we're here too." Josie decided to say it after seeing the sociopath disappear, leaving them both.

"Oh!" Lizzie exclaimed, suddenly stopping almost making the Siphon bump into her. "That dress is  _ fabulous _ !" And she continued to pull her twin into the store.

After brief words with the attendant, the two were in the changing room.

Lizzie swirled happily in the lilac dress, "I think I'll get this one."

Josie had also tried on some pieces, looking at herself in the mirror with red shorts and a yellow blouse glued when her sister came up behind her.

"You look healthy." Lizzie murmured, playing with the necklace chain Josie had given her, the two of them looking in the mirror.

She was right, ever since she had come to New Orleans the brunette had acquired a better shape, she could not even see the outline of her ribs anymore as before.

"Do you think about mother?" Elizabeth was unable to control herself. "Since you left Chicago ..."

Josie didn't like the word 'leave', she preferred 'escape' and a forced one.

Swallowing, "Yes." She lied. The only time she remembered Jo was when she had nightmares about her.

Lizzie met Josie's eyes in the mirror and the brunette couldn't tell if her sister had believed it or not. The blonde has always had a different relationship with her mother.

The older Parker cleared her throat, "Well, I guess I'll leave you here," She pointed to the huge pile of clothes Lizzie had chosen for her mini fashion show, "And I'm going to walk a little, I saw a bookstore downstairs..."

Lizzie smiled "That's just the  _ first _ batch of clothes, dear sister."

Josie frowned, "So I think I have plenty of time!"

•••

In another store, Elizabeth was looking for shoes that matched her new dress like a woman on a mission.

But was out of luck.

Until she bumped into the beautiful pair of heels, which seemed to be the last. Blue eyes shone and a smile tore across her face. She reached out to grab the box ...

And another pair of perfectly manicured hands grabbed it at the same moment.

Lizzie's expression turned to that of anger. "Hey! I saw it first."

A smug laugh came from the other person's lips. Lizzie noticed that she was young, probably under twenty, but she wore more adult clothes.

"And I got the box first,  _ little girl _ ." The blonde said and Lizzie closed her eyes with her accent.

"Drop the box, grandma, I doubt those heels will help you with anything." She snarled.

The woman's face went red and she clenched her jaw. "Listen, little girl," she started and Lizzie saw the pupils in her eyes widen. "You are going to drop that box right now and leave the store."

The corner of Lizzie's lips went up slowly. "Better luck next time, fake blonde, but your compulsion doesn't work on me."

A vein pulsed on the vampire's forehead and Lizzie watched with satisfaction as she controlled it so she wouldn't jump on her neck.

Lizzie pulled the box towards her, "just let go-" She stopped and her jaw dropped, "Oh my god is this bag for Louis Vuitton's new spring collection?"

Rebekah stopped, confused and looked at her bag. "Yes."

"I'm dying to buy it! The one in the winter collection was practically ridiculous, it was disappointing!"

Rebekah simply blinked, stunned, while the younger blonde continued to talk about fashion and collections. Of course, the vampire was quick to get herself together and the two discussed the new releases and the Fashion Weeks that the Original has witnessed, the heels completely forgotten by both.

•••

Josie was about to freak out.

The overwhelming panic she was feeling was irritating, really. She had so many things to take in but she didn't have time; she rubbed her right wrist lightly, purple marks were appearing where Landon had held her and Josie had to dodge Lizzie's questions about the marks.

Her mind was in a hurricane of thoughts, memories, and feelings. Josie had lost control and it terrified her. It was so much that she didn't know where to start.

She was almost managing to calm down by looking at the book titles on the bookshelves, instrumental music played softly in the background and Josie felt she could finally breathe again.

That's until she glanced through the store window and saw Conrad Harrington walking down the hall.

Her first reaction was a paralysis, and then she dropped the book in hands at her feet and ran out of the store. At the entrance, the witch could see a man's back and slightly reddish hair, even the confident, snobby walk was the same. She ran again, bumping into people and almost knocking over a child - she didn't mind apologizing. Wide-eyed, Josie was almost catching up to Conrad - spells on the tip of her tongue, not caring about the mortals unaware of the world she lived in - when he turned to enter a store and Josie realized  _ it wasn't _ Conrad.

Her heels hit the marble floor of the mall hard, stopping painfully. Josie's fingers pressed against the handle of the bag he was carrying.

Josie was about to freak out.

Keeping her arms firmly against the sides of her body, Josie turned robotically, heart beating so hard she felt the sound ring in her eardrums, closed her eyes and started counting down from 333. A child's laughter interrupted her at 256.

The lids opened and the brown eyes fell on a child sitting on a bench next to his father. The little boy played with dominoes.

Dominoes.

Memories of Chicago emerged from the place where they were buried, and she looked around for a toy store.

She found one at the end of the hall.

•••

An hour and a vanilla ice cream cone later, Josie was in front of the store where Lizzie sent her location via text ten minutes ago.

Trying to balance a cell phone in her hand and pay attention to the people around, Josie was about to enter when she bumped into someone.

Josie barely paid any attention to the woman's blond hair, although the accent when she said a 'sorry' made Parker turn his chin a fraction in her direction to say a simple 'It's alright before summing up her route in Lizzie's direction.

Without even noticing the woman standing still and surprised, looking at Josie as if she was witnessing a ghost.

•••

Fingertips trailing through the rough texture of the dusty parchments and books around her,.Josie's leg didn't stop still, the sole hitting the floor at an uncontrolled pace.

In the small library on the second floor of the apartment, Josie was in the company of Kol. The two of them researching the strange cube Josette had stolen from Conrad Harrington. Dropped on the table was Griffin's lighter; the Siphon girl sometimes dared to hold it tight until knuckles turned white, but Griffin never appeared.

She did not allow her to let her mind fantasize about what could have happened to him that night.

Josie looked at the list she had made about what she had found about the cube.

It was common in several cultures, each had its own variation of the cube. This one was clearly Nordic, the golden runes were clear evidence.

The relic supposedly 'unlocked' certain parts when touched correctly. These parts, supposedly then, would be reconfigured into another pattern by the person who had opened it. It was a cube-shaped puzzle and the first step was to 'wake it up'.

But neither Josie nor Kol has yet figured out how.

Josie also had never seen any of the runes in the cube, and they were not listed in Kai's Grimoire. The sociopath had appeared twice before, but he also knew nothing.

Each culture had something different to add to the object's functions. Many called it Configuration, because of the way it had to be arranged.

They had found nothing about it in the few Nordic manuscripts that Kol owned, so they decided to focus on trying to find something related to the runes.

"Hey!" Kol exclaimed, rising from his place and hurrying up to Josie. "I think I have a new lead." He dropped the thick book on the table, almost crushing the brunette's fingers.

The Parker twin took a peek at the content. "What language is that? It looks familiar ..."

"It's of Slavic origin, but I managed to translate a lot of it. Look-" Kol pointed to a drawing with faded colors, it was a Configuration cube, but not the same one they had. "It says here that they are created by very powerful beings, but not  _ our _ witches."

The Siphon's mind traveled to the memory of the Svartalfheim dwarves, who created the chain that binds Fenrir.

"Different cubes can have different functions," The Mikaleson vamp continued to translate, "They serve as a gateway to another dimension, or a prison that is strong enough to contain powerful things, even  _ beings _ ."

"What do you think this one does?" She pointed to the cube.

"The only way to find out is to set it up the right way."

Josette tapped her fingers on the table, making a rhythm; looking at the cube as if she were defying the object.

_ A passage or a prison. _

Dinner was ready and Josie continued to be absorbed in thoughts, just participating in the conversations lightly.

Davina caught her eye when she collected the dishes.

"A friend of Kol's will be passing through the neighboring state for a few days, we think he can help us find out what's going on with your blood." The woman said.

"We are going to need some samples that we will collect tomorrow morning." The vampire added.

"And we think Lizzie is ready to finally start at the Institute."

This brought a small smile to both their faces.

"The fake documents are almost finished."

•••

Finally safe in the solitude of her room, the window open because Asmund had gone out to hunt dinner, Josie blew out a heavy breath still propped on the door. Then she ran over to the bag with the dominoes on the bed, took them out of the wrapper and held out her hands, the jewel on the necklace heating up in anticipation.

"  _ Obiectum Geminium _ " She whispered and the  _ domino _ blocks multiplied on top of the mattress until they formed a decent pile.

The brunette bit her lower lip, considering what she was about to do. Knowing it wouldn't be healthy, but she needed it.

The brunette went to the dresser where she had a ceramic bowl with several sage branches tied together. Extending an index finger, a flame appeared and began to burn the grass. Josie blew air, ending the flame, the grass still burning and sending up a small line of smoke. It was a simple enchantment that sealed the sounds in the room, making it impossible for individuals to hear what was going on inside.

Josie then took off Kai's necklace, depositing it next to the bowl with the salver. With the rest of the magic she possessed, she raised the dominoes to her side and knelt on the floor.

Josie struggled not to think about anything at first, while she started covering the free floor of her room with dominoes. She placed them in rows, positioned them the most perfectly she could muster. Slowly covering the wooden floor, and calming down with each piece that was put in the way she thought was correct.

When it was over, there was only one corner left against the wall, where Josie sat with her knees pressed to her chest. She closed his eyes and concentrated, walking around the dark corners of her mind, struggling to catch all the feelings, good and bad, that had been bothering her for the past few days. Putting each one separately in a box and then sinking them in the deepest places of an imaginary ocean.

Josie fell asleep without thinking that she had done enough.

•••

"You seem lost in thought, Rebekah." Klaus started by slightly rotating the wrist of the hand that held a glass of bourbon.

Rebekah crossed her legs covered in leather pants, absently looked at the collection of books in Klaus's office at the family mansion in Abattoir.

"Hope discovered one of your paintings in the attic."

Klaus stopped in mid-sip. He turned his chin in a silent request for his sister to continue.

"Mary's."

The hybrid leaned on the table, already having an idea of where the conversation was headed. "And what did she said." He murmured before finally drinking.

Rebekah tapped her index finger on the upholstery of the chair she was sitting on. "Said she knew that girl." And then she finally looked the Original in the eye. "And this afternoon I could have sworn I saw a living copy of that painting wandering the mall's hallways."

He refused to say anything and poured more of the alcohol into his glass.

"You know something." The blonde said, stating. "Tell me!" She exclaimed angrily.

Niklaus sighed, almost making a face. "I don't think you will believe my stories about reincarnation, little sister. And don't blame me for not telling you before, Freya also has her little secrets."

The blonde got up from the chair. "Freya is also involved in this ?!"

Klaus shrugged, "But if we're going to start pointing, Kol's the one who got us into this mess."

Rebekah crossed her arms, the bracelets making noises. "Is there anything you want to share, Nik?"

The hybrid smiled sharply, "I hope you still remember the prayers to the gods that our dear mother taught us."

•••

Lizzie knocked lightly on her sister's bedroom door. "Hey, Jo. I know it's early but we have to get your blood samples before Kol and Davina leave."

A few moments passed without any answer, then she calmly opened the door. The sound of falling dominoes woke her up and in a reflex she held out her hand, using her magic to stop the rest of them from falling apart.

With regret, the blonde looked around the room infested with white and black pieces, spotting her sister in a corner as she had several times in Chicago.

Davina appeared behind her, a worried expression on her face. "What is it?" She tried to enter the room but the Parker witch stopped her.

"Don't." Lizzie said. "She will be stressed out if we drop more."

"Has she done this before?"

Elizabeth pursed her lips, "Yes. But it's never a good sign."

Davina just looked at the teenager huddled in the corner of the room.

"I think we should talk." Lizzie tugged slightly on the witch's arm. "Josie won't be long before waking up and what I have to say is important."

•••

"In Chicago, Josie always had to behave a certain way, because of what she is." Lizzie began, "Ever since they found out she is a Siphon."

Kol and Davina exchanged a look, the two of them sitting together on the sofa in front of the fireplace. Lizzie was lit by the flames, it was still dark outside.

"Our mother's behavior has changed drastically over the years. Always busy with the company and the Coven made moments of affection scarce, but with Josie, they became cold, calculated, false."

The blonde stopped to breathe.

"But the punishments were not."

"My sister always had the gift of getting into trouble, whether it be telling fanciful things she saw in the forest on the property or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jo was tough on me too, but with my sister, it was always worse. Josie always reminded her of Kai. "

"We found out about  _ The Merge _ at the age of ten." The couple cringed at the mention of the inescapable ritual. "And we've been training for it ever since."

"Training?" The vampire questioned.

"They wanted us to get stronger. We studied spells, brewed from the most diverse potions, battled each other. It was at those times when Josie was allowed a source of magic. Usually objects, amulets with a limited amount only for lessons."

Elizabeth looked up from the fireplace, if she closed her eyes she could even see the tapestry with the Merge ritual that was in the mansion in Chicago.

"Even with the circumstances in my favor, Josie always stood out and that seemed to displease some members of the Council, especially Conrad."

"My sister was always thirsty for knowledge, that's why she loved our library, but access to certain parts was always restricted to both of us: the dark magic. Not that it prevented her, which ended up generating some punishments, the most common ones were the ones related to food. Over time I got used to the silent dinner between just me and mom. " Lizzie can see Davina and Kol's shaking hands. "Sometimes I was able to get some cereal bars and bring them to Josie's room, but she seldom accepted."

"She always thought she really did something wrong." Lizzie whispered.

"It was three years ago when things got worse." The twin walked in front of the fireplace. "Every time Josie siphoned magic, it was from an object with a small, limited font,  _ never _ from a person. But one afternoon she showed up in my room, she was excited about a spell she had found and wanted me to do it for her... "

Lizzie exhaled, "So I held out my hand to her and said,  _ 'Why do I have to do it if you're the best of us in spells?' _ . Josie denied it, I knew I wasn't allowed but I insisted. And that's when it all went wrong. "

"Josie didn't know how to control herself."

"I remember a terrible pain, an emptiness inside me, the sound of things breaking around us. Josie didn’t want to, but she didn’t know how to stop because she was never taught  _ how _ to. I don’t blame her, she already does that with herself. She almost sucked all of my magical energy, she would have done if Jo hadn't heard my screams. "

"Mom managed to separate us and all I remember before fainting was she dragging my sister out of the room and a member of the Coven coming to help me. I hadn't seen my sister for a week, even after I had fully recovered. I don't know what Jo did to her, physically and mentally but it wasn’t light."

"It took days and days before she looked me in the eye again, months before I could  _ touch _ her. Josie wouldn't let anyone come close. The punishments took on more drastic proportions, Jo locked her up in a little room in the attic so regularly that Josie started to be afraid of large, open spaces for a while. The first time was when our mom caught her with a black magic book. "

The couple immediately remembered the brunette's reaction at Freya's house, when she asked for permission to read a book on Necromancy.

"But the worst was always the lack of affection, the coldness of Jo with her daughter. And Josie also never let me get too close, she always walked away when she could, either when I asked her out or by a simple touch. It was during this period that she started taking violin classes, and the following year she met Griffin formally and the two became friends. I know he was the only person Josie permitted to siphon magic on, the only one who managed to climb the walls of the fortress where Josie was hiding. " The blonde smiled a little.

"The friendship had obviously positive results in my sister's life and Jo noticed that too, but she didn't seem to mind. The same could not be said for the boy's father. Conrad always hated Kai and, consequently, Josie." She made a dark face.

"Conrad always contradicted my mother's decisions in the Council and in time he got a small group of followers. He always wanted us to hurry up with the ritual, which will take place on our eighteenth birthday. The magic of our Coven is always renewed to each new leader, and although we are one of the strongest in the United States, he was always greedy and wanted more. I always thought that he could challenge the Parker line, but magic always chose us. I think his greed, in a way, can explain his involvement with the Nordic deities, but I still have no idea of the specifics. "

"Josie has always been taught to  _ restrain _ herself, to  _ isolate _ herself. So she acquired some unhealthy habits, like this one." He pointed in the direction of the room. "With this type of exercise, she physically isolates herself to a small corner, where she punishes herself by staying in the same position for hours until she can control herself again. She tries to bury everything she is feeling, until she doesn't feel it anymore."

Kole swallowed, "How long has she been doing this?"

"More than a year, I'm not sure. Sometimes this is it, or cringing into the wardrobe looking for an immersion like that of punishment. Josie only does this when she is very close to a sensory overload, being very close to magical beings like that of the Institute must have left her in that state little by little, especially with everything that is happening. " Lizzie tried to explain.

Kol and Davina were clearly trying to process all the information that Lizzie had shared. The Claire witch was about to say something when Josie entered the room. The Siphon was massaging the neck when she made sense of the energy-charged in the room, brown eyes widened and analyzed the members before dropping the arm.

Josette swallowed and grabbed the fabric of her shirt tightly. "I am glad that you are aware of the situation." She forced the words out. "But I'm still not ready to tell you what Lizzie doesn't know, I hope you understand that."

•••

The couple left after collecting some samples of the brunette's strange blood. Lizzie helped her sister to tidy up the room and throw the dominoes in the trash, but Josie knows that Lizzie would incinerate them as soon as she lost sight of her.

Josie decided to relax for a while in the bathtub, the warm water comforting her stiff muscles with the sleepless night. But her tender peace did not last long for soon the voices in her head came back to haunt.

_ Drown. Drown. _ They said in various tones, tempting like honey and brought tears to Josie's eyes.

Josie fell asleep with Asmund in her arms, the  _ familiar _ purring in an attempt to comfort her and the soft mattress compelling her to dreamless sleep.

•••

The favorite part of the day, for Josie, would be the dawn, but she was content with the sunset. She was probably lost and that made her look wistfully at her forearm where until a few days ago a Nordic compass had been drawn in black lines. She was running the way to Freya's house, when, for reasons hitherto eccentric, she decided to deviate from the path, following a trail to her left. The path climbed higher and higher, out of the plains and up small grassy hills that reached Josie's knee.

Josie looked up from the small stones she was kicking to look at the horizon and the explosion of colors made her stop for a few seconds.

A huge bed of flowers covered the top of the hill, surrounding a tree. The colors of the petals danced following the curve of the winds that blew. Feet covered with the doodled sneakers continued the way without realizing it.

Josette took a deep breath, trapping the air in her lungs as much as she could while looking at the white clouds against the sky that was beginning to change color. Lips parted to let out the air, and the chin dropped.

With her vision adjusting, she spotted a figure sitting against the tree trunk at the top. Copper-colored hair tossed over her shoulder, a pencil being skillfully swirled between fingers, face turned to follow the route of the sun on the horizon.

And a sea of colors separating the two girls.

Josie tilted her head to the side, feeling her stomach tighten.  _ What were the odds _ , she thought. She decided to stay still, shoes sinking into the green grass; Josette didn't want to move, just watch.

The almost orange rays crashed against the right side of Josie's face, but she could only think of how Hope's locks looked like flames that flickered when the wind hit them.

Josie started to feel something strange in her chest, she swallowed hard.

The pencil fell from the redhead's grip, and the blue eyes collided with the caramel ones. Vibrant colored flowers fluttered, separating the two.

Josie's fallen head returned to its correct position and she decided to cross the ocean.

Hope found her halfway.

"Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together?" Hope said.

It took Josie time to calm her thundering heartbeat before she spoke. The wind blew, making some strands of hair float in his line of sight.

"I think some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences."

Seeing the redhead's lips curl in a smile made Josie forget all the things that were going on in her life. Josette thought Hope's smile could be addictive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: I just created a twitter account only for this story where u guys can tag me about your posts,edits and doubts about the chapter! Its @aesir_ases and I would love to interact with you guys there! Also feel free to dm me!
> 
> It is not one of my best chapters but today we took another look at what Josie's past was like, only from Lizzie's point of view. We still have more to discover, things that only Josie knows.
> 
> Rebekah is finally aware of what is happening.
> 
> I felt bad for you guys and decided to write some Hosie moments, I feel that you will love the first scene of the next chapter haha.
> 
> What are your theories? What do you think is coming? Part 1 of this book is ending, just 3 more chapters to go!
> 
> Until the next chapter and I hope you are all safe in your homes!

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my new story!
> 
> This is an AU,and some events of the canon have been changed.
> 
> Some of them are:
> 
> • Alaric is the one who died at the wedding;
> 
> • Kai was sent to another prison world(but his character will have a strong connection with Josie);
> 
> • Josie is the only remaining Siphon, meaning Lizzie is a common witch;
> 
> • since Alaric died, the Salvatore Boarding School was never founded.
> 
> • HAYLEY AND KLAUS ARE ALIVE GUYS! And they founded the Mikaelson Institute, a bit like the 1x10 Legacies episode;
> 
> • Some characters will have different personalities, especially Josie,because of the way she grew up;
> 
> There are still other small changes that will be self-explanatory throughout the story!


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